The Adventures of the Princess and Her Dragon
by Conflicting Chaos
Summary: Princesses live in big castles with lots of servants, right? So why then does princess Lucy Heartfilia end up on an arduous journey across her own country with her pink-haired protector? There are most definitely some complications... NaLu.
1. Chapter 1: The Watermelon Thief

_The first time I saw her, I knew that she was mine. She was the one made for me, and I for her. I still remember that first day, the day she saved my life. And as I remember that day, I think back to all of the great adventures we shared together, the laughing, the crying, and even the perils. _

_The King has just given me an impossible task, one that I fear is not completable. But I know that the best future depends on me doing the impossible. And so I will, for her. Because I would do anything for her, even if it means travel the world and back. He gave me a small crest with the Heartfilia name on it, and I knew from there, that he was giving me a chance. And for her, I'd take it..._

"STOP! GET BACK HERE!"

I'm running for my life. I run and run, but it hurts my feet. I've been running for so long. This watermelon has to weigh a million pounds because it's so freaking heavy! But I need it, because if I don't have this watermelon, I don't have anything to eat tonight. All because my stupid father left me alone. He didn't even say goodbye! He's such a jerk! I don't know how to survive on my own!

So here I am, stealing a watermelon from a stand. It was a stupid idea, but people usually called me stupid. I'm not stupid! I know a lot of things! I could kick your ass if you said I didn't! It's my first "crime" but I don't see why they care I stole one watermelon! What about all the other watermelons? If nobody is there, someone could have taken them all! All because I stole one lousy watermelon!

My feet really ache right now. Stupid Igneel! Stupid Igneel! Why did you leave? Was I not good enough? I'll show you who can survive on their own Igneel! I'll show you! I'll get away with this watermelon. Even if it means I reveal my magic! Nobody is going to stop me now!

They're starting to catch up to me, and I have no idea what I'm doing, I'm just running. I look up and see a bright castle. It looked absolutely beautiful at this time of evening. I wish I lived there! Then I wouldn't have to deal with these stupid vendors chasing me because I took one watermelon. I bet their whole stands have just been robbed, and I'm gonna get in trouble for having one stupid watermelon!

But I won't! I refuse to get in trouble, because Igneel probably wants me to! I bet he's thinking that I couldn't last on my own! Well I'll show you, Mr. Tough Guy! I can easily last on my own. I don't need no nothin' to survive, just myself! And I will!

I smile with an evil glint in my eyes... Yes, I'll get away with this watermelon! I know I will! And as soon as I do, I'm going to start my own adventure! One on the road. Maybe, I could find a talking cat on the way. That'd be freaking awesome! A cat companion! I'd have a friend to travel with, and we'd be together all the time going on adventures. It'd be the super best adventure ever!

I don't really hear their footsteps anymore. Did I get away? I look up to check see my surroundings, and I got really scared in an instant! All I can see is brick, which means... OUCH! I just ran into a brick wall! I'm glad Igneel isn't here. He'd probably say something about me being an idiot for running into a wall. I try to get up, but my head just hurts so much! It's like a bomb went off in there! But bombs are tasty... so maybe it's more like a... um.. hmm. Never mind.

I lie back on the pavement, and my watermelon is held close. I've got ya, buddy. My own dinner. It isn't a big piece of meat, but it's something! And something I got myself too! From those greedy merchants!

...who happen to just be standing above me. Stupid merchants! Stupid Igneel! Stupid watermelon! Why did this happen to me? Did they have to make such a big fuss over this stupid watermelon? I didn't do anything! It's just a damn watermelon!

"Kid, whaddya doing stealing watermelons? Where's your parents?" One of the stupid older guys says to me.

"I don't have a mama, and my stupid dad left me. Stupid dragon." I answer. I sit up and cross my arms. I'm seriously annoyed right now.

"So? That doesn't explain why you stole my watermelon!" The stupid guy says to me.

"I need to eat something, you idiot! Do you want me to starve?" I say to that idiot angrily. I'm not giving this guy my watermelon, not in a million years!

"Stop it right there!" I hear from outside the circle of older guys who were trying to take my only food away. I swear I just heard the most beautiful voice.

"I said stop!" I heard that voice again. Is my mind playing with me? But I've never heard that voice before! It sounds so perfect, so well balanced, so calming and peaceful. But also, so cute.

"Huh, what!? Princess!" One of the stupid guys says, as they all face something out of view.

"What are you doing to that poor boy?" I heard her say from behind this wall of older guys. Can't I see? I really want to know what's going on!

"He stole a um... watermelon from me." One says to whoever he's talking to. I get up and try to crawl around them, hoping to catch a glimpse of who it is who's saving me.

"He was merely grabbing me a watermelon that I asked for." This voice says again.

"Oh, my apologizes, my princess. We did not know. Forgive us." They say, to someone I still can't see! Finally, they move their big fat selves out of the way and I can see who my savior is. And it did really shock me, what I saw.

I see a small girl in front me, she has to be no older than me. She's a little shorter than me, but not much and has beautiful blonde hair. I could stare into her brown eyes all day long, and I probably would if I could. She has an amazing smile that makes me want to run up to her and hug her. She is my savior after all, so I can hug her.

I quickly stumble to my feet, and run as fast I can. I ignore the pain in my legs and I grab the girl in a hug. I whisper a small, "Thank you", and hold her close to me. She's really made it easier for me. At least now I can return here, after my long adventures.

"What's your name, pinky?" She says to me. I don't know why I'm being called pinky, but it doesn't sound cool at all. Not like my super awesome name, Natsu Dragneel!

"It's Natsu Dragneel! And why are you calling me pinky?" I ask her curiously. I'm seriously confused! Why am I pinky!

"Your hair silly! And I'm Lucy, nice to meet you." She says, giving me that bright smile that makes me feel all warm inside.

"Well, Natsu Dragneel is a lot cooler than pinky! Nobody calls me pinky, because they know I'm tough stuff!" I say proudly. I have a reputation to live up to!

"Then maybe... Pinky just has to be my nickname for you then." She says, giving me more playful smile. I see what she's doing, and I might put up with it... maybe.

"But it's Natsu! Or Salamander! Or Dragneel! Or Son of Igneel! Not Pinky!" I say, listing my names. Or at least my favorites. I get called a lot, especially by Igneel's weird dragon buddies. I didn't understand them or their stupid dragon names.

"You're pinky to me then." She says. I sigh, showing that I agree to what she's saying. She did save my life, so I do owe her one. I guess a harmless nickname wouldn't be so bad.

"Yeah, yeah, whatever. Why'd you save me?" I ask her, wondering what her reasons were. We started walking on this path with an extremely beautiful garden, and a majestic house. I'd love to live here! There are all kinds of flowers in many different colors. There are a few fountains on each side and some well trimmed hedges. Playing hide-and-seek games in here would be awesome! For now, I'm stuck to the small path that went straight down the middle, but soon enough I'll explore this place.

"Better question, why did you steal that watermelon? Don't you know that thievery is a severe crime?" She asks me. Of course I know! I'm not stupid.

"Yeah, well it was the only thing I could do! I was hungry!" I say defensively.

"What about your parents? Aren't they there for that?" She asks me. My parents were... well... I never really knew them. But that's not true, because Igneel is my father. Even if he was a jerk and ran away, he's still dad.

"I don't remember my real parents. But my dad is a jerk! He's a freakin' dragon and he left me! Just left me! Like a week ago! I ran out of food at home and I don't know what to do!" I say angrily.

"Your dad is a dragon? Wow, that's really cool!" She says. She smiles at me and I can't help but smile back.

"Yeah he _was _cool. But then he ran out and left me!" I say.

"Well, I'm sure you'll meet your father again soon. For now, come with me. I'll keep you from having to steal again." She says to me. I look up and see a massive doorway. It was awesome! Igneel could of have fit through this door!

"Woah!" I say.

"Yeah, it's pretty cool, isn't it? Alright, well follow me. We'll get that watermelon sliced up and eaten, okay?" She says.

"You'd do that, for _me_? I mean really, that's so awesome Lucy!" I say happily. I never really planned on getting past the stealing part of the watermelon.

"Of course, pinky. You seem like a nice person, so I'll do you this favor." She says. She leads me down a large hallway in this fancy place. This place is huge, it's like a castle! I look at the art on the walls, which though it did confuse me, made me happy. There were dragons painted on them, and it looked like they were honoring the dragons! Dragons are awesome!

We walk into some double doors, and on the other side is a big kitchen. It's the size of my house! Everything in this room is white, too! The walls, the ceiling, the floors, and even some of the cabinets! I can't believe it! She walks me over to the farthest back counter, and calls out.

"Miss Virgo, can you please help me?" She says loudly. A few seconds later, a woman walked in, with pink hair and came over towards Lucy and I.

"Yes, Lucy dear? What do you need? There's no need for the 'Miss' either." She says to Lucy.

"Well, you're like thousands and millions of years old so I should call you 'Miss'. I need you to slice this watermelon up for me and my friend." Lucy says, pointing to me.

"How's she that old but look so young?" I ask, seriously confused.

"She's a celestial spirit. She was one of mama's but now she just serves the castle until I'm old enough to use her key." Lucy says as Virgo slices up the watermelon.

"Your watermelon, Lucy." Virgo says, before bowing and walking away.

"You don't need to bow!" Lucy yells.

Lucy turns to me and she grabs the sliced up watermelon. She signals me to follow her and we go out into the garden. We sit down at one of the tables and begin to eat the watermelon. It's pretty late in the day, so the sun is pretty low in the sky. The orange sky and the green gardens look pretty cool together.

"So pinky, where'd you get your pink hair from?" She asks me.

"I don't know. Probably my real parents but I don't remember them so I don't know." I say.

"Okay well...um.. why did you steal the watermelon here? You know you wouldn't be welcomed back if you stole it?" She asks me.

"Well, I didn't plan on coming back. I wanna adventure! See the world, you know, travel throughout this big kingdom! It's so cool to think of all the places I haven't been to! I wanna see it all!" I say happily.

"That sounds lovely. I always wanted to leave home, myself, but I couldn't bring myself to run away. It sounds silly, but I want to explore too." She says. She wants to explore, just like me? We could be traveling companions!

"Lucy, you know, we could be traveling companions! We'd explore together! How'd that sound?" I say happily. I would love to have someone to explore with!

"Yeah, it'd be fun. But..." She says, and she looks sad. I don't get it, why wouldn't she want to?

"But what?" I ask.

"But... my father wouldn't approve. He doesn't think I should leave this place." She says.

"Well, I we would come back to your father right? So there's no need to worry, is there?" I ask her.

"I don't know. I'll think about it. But you can stay here as long as you'd like. Until, you know... leave on your journey." She says to me.

"You mean it? You're saving me and letting me stay in your house? That's really nice of you to do, Lucy! You're the best!" I say happily.

I see her smile again, and she says, "Oh well, it's not much. We have plenty of extra rooms here, and I couldn't stand for someone like you to live out all alone with nothing."

"Well think about adventuring with me! We could have so many fun adventures together, and it'd be just so awesome!" I offer her. I want a traveling companion pretty badly. Now that I think about it, I'd get pretty lonely if I went on my own.

"I will, and would you like me to show you to a guest room?" She asks me.

"Awesome Lucy! Hey since your house is so freakin' big, can I have a room in one of those big tower thingies?" I ask her. It would help me find Igneel quicker if I could see further out from a higher height. Plus, looking down on the town would be so awesome.

"Sure. My dad usually puts the bedrooms up in the higher towers anyways. I don't like all the stair climbing but if you insist." She says.

"I don't need no stairs! I can fly! Because I'm a dragon!" I say proudly.

Lucy giggled, which confused me, but I just went with it. She grabs my hand and we enter her house again. We walk up the really long and boring staircase up to the rooms. When I open the door to the room she pointed at, I immediately run to the window.

It's the greatest view that I've ever seen! I could see the whole town from up here! Wow! This place must be a really awesome place to live! I could skydive out of this window every morning!

"Do you like this place?" She asks me.

"This place is awesome! Look at that amazing view!" I say, pointing to the window.

"Well, I chose it because it's right across the hall from mine, so we can spend time together." She says sheepishly.

"Really? You'd spend time with me? All of the other kids I knew were scared of me. You're my first actual friend, Lucy!" I say happily.

"Why would they hate you Natsu? Are they afraid of your pink hair?" She asks me, giggling at her own joke.

"No... they're afraid of this." I say, lighting my entire body on fire. Lucy looks at me in shock, and I wonder if it was too soon to show her. But then I see her smile and I smile too. I guess she really is different from the rest.

"That's so cool Natsu! What kind of magic is that?" She asks me.

"It's Fire Dragon Slayer Magic. Igneel taught it to me. I can set myself on fire, and it's really cool and all. Igneel says I take on the forms of a dragon, so that means I am a dragon!" I say proudly.

"Woah! That's really cool Natsu! I've learned about of a lot of different magics, but that's the first I've heard of Dragon Slayer Magic. You have to show me sometime, okay?" She says.

"Alright, whenever you want. I'm not busy doing anything ever so if you ever want to learn about my super awesome magic just ask." I offer.

"Yeah, yeah, whatever. One more thing, we have to convince my father to let you stay. But that shouldn't be too bad, should it?" She asks.

"I hope not, I don't really want to go back to the streets." I say.

"Don't worry, I won't let you Natsu." She says.

"Hey Lucy?" I ask.

"Yeah?" She says.

"Thank you." I say before smiling brightly at her. She smiles back, and I know that I've found my first true friend.


	2. Chapter 2: Two Fathers, One Gone Missing

**No Author's Note on first chapter. I usually like to wait until the second chapter to add something above the storyline. But thanks a bunch for the support already. If you can, please spread this story, It'd really help me a whole ton!**

**Also, a young Natsu is a clingy-to-friends Natsu. At least in this story he is.**

**Thanks to the reviewers, first of the story! They are SnowAngelSlayerTasha, Ice and Thunder, Disney lovers 101, amulet2579, and Chikalover.**

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><p>I'm really excited to meet Lucy's dad. He absolutely has to love dragons if he has them all over his walls. It's so cool! I wish Igneel made designs like these all over the place. That would be super amazing! I could ask Lucy to help me make my room all dragon themed after we see her dad.<p>

After leading me down this long hallway, Lucy knocks on big double doors. She looks over at me with a nervous smile, and I start to feel worried. If Lucy is nervous, than should I be too? What if Lucy's dad doesn't like me? I bet he will though, because I'm a dragon, and Lucy's dad seems to like dragons.

I hear a voice from the other side that is telling us to come in. Lucy looks at me, and I look at her, and she slowly pushes the door open. She walks through and follow after her.

"Oh, hello Lucy. Do you need something?" Lucy's dad asks her. He seems nice.

"Yeah, I was..um, well wondering if..." Lucy says before looking at me nervously. We're standing on this long carpet that goes all the way towards Lucy's dad's chair. I wonder why he had this room. Was it for greetings?

"Spit it out, dear." Lucy's dad says.

"CanNatsulivewithus?" She says really fast. I don't know if I heard a word or a sentence there.

"What was that? Slow down, dear, it's alright." He says to her. Definitely a nice guy. I think.

"I was wondering if umm.. Can Natsu...live...with us?" She asks her father.

"Who is this Natsu, dear? Is he that cherry-blossom haired kid right next to you?" He asks, pointing to me.

"Y-Yes, father. That's him." She says.

"Why do you want to live here?" He asks me.

"Well, umm... I don't really have anywhere else to go, I mean my dad Igneel left. And Lucy is my only friend, so I don't have anyone else for me." I say nervously.

"What do mean your dad left? And I don't remember hearing of a man named Igneel in this town." Lucy's dad says.

"Well, umm sir, that's cuz my dad isn't a man. Well...my real parents were, but they died... when I was younger. So I um... don't have human parents. Igneel was like a father though. He's a...um big red dragon. You know, sir, like the ones that are... on your walls?" I say, shaking in place with nervousness. I don't know what makes me so scared of this guy. I'm never scared of anyone, ever! Not even Igneel's evil dragon buddies!

"Dragon?" Lucy's dad says nervously. I nod slowly and he looks at me carefully. I get even more nervous with that questioning look he's giving me. "So, would that make your name Natsu Dragneel?" He asks.

"Yes, sir. That's my name." I say.

"Natsu, where did you grow up?" He asks me. That's a weird question. Nobody ever really cared about my past before.

"Well um, from what I remember, Igneel, he...uh found me in some plains. And he, well um, he said that I was wandering on my own. From then on, we lived in those plains, which are just outside of this town." I say nervously.

"You said he left, right? When was that?" He asks. I wonder why he's so interested in Igneel.

"A week ago, sir. He didn't even tell me, just left." I say.

"So you don't know anything about what your 'father' did for a job?" He asks me. Well... I didn't really, at least I don't remember.

"No, I don't know. Sometimes he'd leave for a while, but he'd always be back. But he always told me before he left, and he's never been gone longer than two days." I say.

"Alright then. By the way, Natsu, you don't have any intentions of kidnapping the princess, do you?" He asks me. I give him a confused look. Why would he be talking about a princess?

"A princess? Why would I capture the princess. I don't even know a princess..." I say, confused. Lucy's dad looks at me like I'm really stupid, but I don't get it. Did I miss something?

"Natsu, do you know where you are?" He asks me.

"Your house, but I think it looks more like a mansion, because it's super huge!" I say.

"Natsu," he says before sighing, "This is a castle. It's a place where Kings and Queens live." He says. If we're in a castle... and Lucy's dad owns it, that makes him the king, right? So the chair is actually...a throne! Which means that Lucy is the princess? Lucy's the princess!

"Lucy you're the princess?" I ask her, turning towards her?

"Well, yeah. I am." She says, looking kind of embarrassed. I think that look is actually pretty cute. "I thought you knew, because of the big castle and the guys outside who called me princess. And you know, well the fact that this place is a throne room."

"Sorry Lucy." I say sorrily. "People call me dumb a lot."

"You're not dumb Natsu." Lucy says to comfort me. "You're smart enough to last a week without any parents."

"I guess so." I say. "But I promise you, my King, I won't let any harm come to your princess, ever. I swear my loyalty."

"Very well, you have permission to live here. Though out of curiosity, do you use magic?" He asks me. I only use the best magic ever!

"I use Dragon Slayer Magic!" I say proudly. "Fire Dragon Slayer to be exact. Igneel taught it to me!"

"Most impressive! Since you swore your loyalty and I don't see you to be a threat to the princess, how would you like to be her personal bodyguard?" He asks me.

"I would love that! Does that mean I get to spend lots of time with Lucy?" I ask excitedly.

"Well since you are her bodyguard, it's your job to protect her all the time. So yes, you'll be with her everywhere she goes." The king says.

"I'll be a great dragon then! Dragons protect their special princesses! So I'll be just like the dragons!" I say, happy with my new job. It's perfect for a dragon like me.

"I like the enthusiasm." The king says. "If Lucy hasn't taken you to your room yet, please ask her to."

"Don't worry, she's already done all that!" I say. "Lucy's the best!"

"Alright, well I'll let you get settled and all. You do understand this is a full time commitment with 0 days off, right?" He says. I think he just made the job even better!

"You really mean it? I get to spend 365 days a year with Lucy! You're the best king ever!" I say. I turn around to walk away, and I say one more thing. "I really like the dragons in this castle. And thanks for the best job ever, my king!"

"Thank you, Natsu. I really appreciate the help." He says, and Lucy and I walk out of the throne room together.

She smiles at me and says, "That went a lot better than I thought." It's the biggest smile of hers that I've ever seen, and it's my favorite.

"Of course, with a dragon like me, who could possibly be a better bodyguard? Dragons are born to protect princesses." I say confidently.

"But what about the prince who comes to kill the dragon?" Lucy asks me.

"Unless he's a Dragon Slayer, he can't do anything to the dragon! Besides, the dragon loves the princess, so the dragon would always win!" I explain. Isn't this obvious?

"The dragon loves the princess?" She asks confusedly.

"Of course the dragon does! Why else would the dragon want the princess? Dragons aren't just kidnapping reptiles, they do it for a reason!" I explain to her. What did she think was the dragon's reason for capturing a princess? It's obviously for love, of course!

"Oh, that makes sense. I never really thought of it that way. It makes the prince kind of look evil, I guess." She says.

"Yeah, he is! The dragon never did anything to the prince!" I say.

"Hey Natsu?" She asks me.

"Yeah Lucy?" I say.

"You really want to be my bodyguard, everyday of the year? You might get tired of me." She says shyly.

"Of course not! Lucy you don't ever get tired of your friends right?" I ask her.

"Well, I don't really have any friends." She admits.

"That's not true! You have me, and I have you! That's how we'll be, right?" I ask.

"Yeah." She says, smiling at me. "You wanna get your stuff into your room? Do you have anything at home you want to bring here?"

"Nope, I never really had much. I might need some fancier clothes too. Yeah, probably just some clothes, definitely some castle type stuff. Like what a bodyguard wears, you know?" I say.

"Yeah, I know. I'll ask Virgo, she has a lot of clothing from the Spirit World. That's where she goes when she isn't here helping one of us." She says.

"So they live in like a completely different world? That's so cool!" I say.

"They can come on their own accord, or when we summon them. Of course, they're not always summonable, because they have schedules too. Right now, nobody can summon them because the keys are locked up in a vault." She says.

"Why?" I ask.

"Well, because they're there until I can learn to use them. Papa says I can start soon, I'm really excited!" She says.

Lucy and I walk up to my room together. I guess she wants to make it feel more at home, but my home was mostly grass and dirt, so I don't really want it to feel like home. Unless it's Lucy's home. Lucy's idea of home is probably a whole lot nicer than mine. Lucy's home is full of dragons, and I would definitely like dragons in my room.

When we finally get up to my room, Lucy immediately runs and jumps on my bed. It looks really soft, because she bounced really high! I sit down in one of the chairs, and stare at her. She looks like she's thinking about something.

"Hey Natsu, are you...a...comfortable telling me about Igneel?" She asks.

"Of course, why?" I say confusedly. Why would I be afraid of talking about my father?

"Well, I was kinda wondering how you know, like met." She says. "Some dragons eat people, you know. And nobody has seen one in years, I was just wondering how you ran into him. Did you have to convince him to raise you, or did he take you in?" She asks.

"Hmm... well it's kind of a long story. Do you know where the East Magnolia Plains are?" I ask her.

"Yes, they're pretty far away. Are you telling me that's where you met Igneel?" She asks.

"Yup! I was really small back then, only about like two or three." I say. "And, I was wandering through this forest, and I came to a large open field. And I was walking up this small hill just outside of the forest, but when I got to the top, I saw this really big dragon! He was like sooooooo many times larger than me! I didn't know at the time, but he was actually Igneel!

"I got really scared, because you know, I didn't have any magic at the time. So I went to turn and run away, and he reaches his big talons and taps my back! I turned around slowly, and he laughed a freakish dragon laugh. It smelled awful! Like rotten fish or something. But then he moved his big dragon face right in front of me, and I could see his bright eyes! They looked funny, and so I started to laugh.

"Then he picks me up in his big claw! It felt weird being in his hand, because I felt so small! And he just looks at me like I'm some kinda alien or something stupid! He asked me, 'Is your name, Natsu, by chance?' Then I smiled proudly and I said to him, 'You betcha I am! The one and only Natsu!' He brings me closer to his face and looks at me weirdly. It was like he was looking for something, but I don't know what he was doing. Probably his old and stupid dragon vision failing him. 'You match the description.' He said. I was super shocked! 'HEY! I'm not some kinda describa-um...-whatever! You know what I mean!' I shouted at him.

"'You are quite feisty, you must be Natsu. How would you like to learn Dragon Slayer Magic?' He said to me. He must have been stupid, because I just told him that! 'You are not a very smart dragon, I just told you I was Natsu! And what? You'd teach me magic? Really?' I was super excited, because people always told me that dragons were the most powerful things, and so if you learn dragon magic then you must be as strong as a dragon! 'Yes, dear Natsu. You can learn a special Dragon Slayer Magic, known as Fire Dragon Slayer Magic. My name is Igneel, and I will be your teacher.'

"I wanted to jump up and hug Igneel right then and there. I tried to, but I could barely hug his nose! He was so dang big! He could barely fit through that grand hallway you have, you know the really tall one with the dragons? Well anyways, back to the story. Igneel looked at me and again said something. He said, 'Natsu, from now on, you shall be known as Natsu Dragneel, the Fire Dragon Slayer.'"

"So that's why you're Natsu Dragneel? Because Igneel gave you the name?" Lucy asked.

"Yup! I guess it sounds like 'dragon' and 'Igneel'' mixed together. Don't you think?" I say.

"Yeah, it does, doesn't it?" She says. "That's a cool last name, Natsu."

"Thanks." I say, bashfully. I don't understand why I'm feeling this way, I always take compliments normally, but this one seemed to be different.

I go to look out the window, just to check out what's going on in town right now. It looks kind of odd out there, being so high up here and stuff. I wonder if this was what Igneel would see when he went flying. He told me he'd take me flying eventually, but I never got to go flying with him.

"See something cool out there?" She asks out of nowhere. I turn to face her and I see her looking at me intently.

"Nope, not really. Just thinking about Igneel." I say.

"You really miss him, don't you?" She asks.

"Yeah, I do, I wish he was here right now. He always told me he would take me flying someday, but he left before that could happen." I say sadly.

"Hey Natsu, come here for a second." She says, signaling for me to come closer. I'm a little nervous because I don't know what she's planning. It's nothing bad, but I don't really want to be surprised either.

All I feel is warmth. Like Igneel warmth, but softer. It's Lucy's arms, and she's hugging me right now. It feels so great, being hugged by her. I've never been hugged before, but I bet being hugged like this is the best. I smiled a little, feeling relaxed.

"Mama once said that the best way to make someone smile is to give them a big hug." She whispers while still hugging me. I can feel her pull back and she looks at me with a bright smile, our faces are pretty close together, and she giggles. "See, mama was right! You did smile!" She says. My smile only grows as I watch her sit back up, and I'm really glad to have her as a friend.

For the rest of the day, we lay there together on my bed. We talk about dragons, mostly about my dragon, Igneel. She laughs and giggles at our silly adventures, like the time I almost caught a big fish in the pond by our clearing. She thinks that I'm crazy for living outside for most of my life. I give her a smile and tell her that it's nothing like the indoors. I continue on with a few more tales of my childhood with Igneel before I feel a little sleepy. The bed is really comfy, so I guess that makes sense.

I sit up and look out the window, and I see the nighttime sky. I lie back down, and pull the covers back. I pull them over us and I hold Lucy tightly towards me. She looks a little confused, but I guess she doesn't know about how dragons protect their treasures all the time. So whisper it to her.

"A dragon must protect his treasures at all times. Sleep well, Lucy."


	3. Chapter 3: Family and Motion Sickness

**I always think up good Author's Notes after I publish a chapter. Seriously, why? Can't I just think of something good to write before I post? Agh... Stupid Brain...**

**I just wanted to point out that this is the first story that has a slow start. The other two pick up really quickly, but this one is more of an "Ease into things" story. Also, Jude is a nice king from the start. I don't think I've seen it before, but I think it makes an interesting character. And I don't think there are any swears in here yet. So for now, it could be a K rated story, but well, when Natsu gets older... Yeah... Let's just leave it at T.**

**Thanks Esme Alexis, SnowAngelSlayerTasha, Disney lovers 101, and Ice and Thunder for reviewing (your name makes my grammar look bad).**

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><p>From that day on, Lucy and I were the best of friends. She helped me get used to the castle, which I was grateful for. I got lost on the first day, but thankfully, Lucy found me and showed me around the rest of the castle. The servants here are really nice, and sometimes we hang out with the human ones while we're here. The celestial ones always seem to be busy, which kinda sucks because I really wanted to learn about them. I guess I'll just have to wait until Lucy can start learning magic.<p>

I tried to sleep in Lucy's room whenever I could, but sometimes she wouldn't let me because her father would check on her in the morning. She told me that her dad would fire me if I was caught sleeping in the same bed as her. I was really sad about the news, but I'd be even sadder if I was fired. This job has reignited the flames of joy and happiness inside of me. I don't really consider it a job though, because all I do is play games with Lucy all day long and walk her through town on occasion. She acts like I'm so burdened, but to me it's just like a sleepover that never ends!

One night, it was really stormy. The rain was coming down really hard that night, and on top of it, there was tons of thunder and lightning. I cursed Igneel's name for giving me heightened senses because the thunder was terribly loud, even without dragon hearing. It didn't help much that we were on the highest floor, and I remembered that right as I was falling asleep, I was jolted awake by the sound of thunder and a flash of lightning. I felt my room shake, but I didn't do much about it. I shrugged it off, and fell back asleep a few minutes later. It wasn't a big deal, lightning struck the castle, who cares?

Apparently, Lucy did. A few hours later, when I woke up in the middle of the night, I felt something warm around my waist. I pulled the covers back and saw Lucy, sleeping in her pajamas, hugging my waist. I guess she was scared of the storm, which made sense. Igneel and I used to sleep through the storms and he'd use one of his super big wings to keep me dry. At first, I was afraid, but I got used to it after a while. Lucy probably will too. Only with time though. Until then, I'm going to have a sleeping Lucy in my bed every thunderstorm. I drifted off to sleep that night, thinking about Lucy and dragons.

When I woke up, Lucy was still asleep. I was going to push her off, but I remembered who she was, and that a friend doesn't do that to a friend, so I didn't move her. I sat there idly and watched her rhythmic breathing. Did you know Lucy taught me the word rhythmic? It sounds so cool!

She took her time in waking up, and she looked awfully embarrassed afterwords. I laughed and told her it was okay, which led her to thank me. I didn't really understand what the thanks were for, but I just said, "Anytime", so that she'd know that she could come back. And she did. For the next 7 thunderstorms, she came back. And we've only had seven thunderstorms since.

About a month into my job, Lucy began to practice her new magic. I was super excited for her, and even if it wasn't my job, I'd be there to watch her learn it. Igneel taught me some basic energy transformation magic, but it wasn't very good. It took a lot more of my power to give her some, but it was something in case she needed more energy. She didn't look like she had any difficulty bringing, or as she said, "summoning", these spirit-thingies to our world. Shortly after, I found out the one she summoned, Canis Minor, was actually a silver key and not very hard to summon.

So she practiced, everyday since that first day. And she got pretty good. After the first week, she could summon a clock guy whose name began with an H. It was a weird name and I had no idea how to say it. The clock guy was pretty cool. He could shield Lucy from basically everything! He had some sorta time limit though, so that was probably why he was only a silver key.

The king, whose name I found out to be Jude, hired some tutors to teach me the art of defense. Of course, being Igneel's son, I was already amazing and those guys were shocked with my awesomeness. I definitely showed them who was the best at the art of defense. Still, they did teach me about the different things that could be threats to Lucy and how to deal with them. I wouldn't have paid attention if it weren't for Lucy's safety and well-being.

I also had to watch Lucy's magic class. The king said I should know what Lucy's magic is all about and how it works, in case of emergency. After a bit of thinking, which yes, I can do, I agreed with him and learned about Lucy's magic. Of course, I wasn't really an active student, all I did was learn and test without any of the class two-way stuff.

When we learned about these weird things called Zodiac Gates, I saw that they were gold keys. I was never told what was above silver, but if I had to guess, it'd definitely be gold. That's just how it works. And sure enough, they were. Of course, Lucy wasn't there yet.

A little after everything quieted down, Lucy's father had some visitors from some nearby kingdom. They wanted Lucy to get married to the son of the company, but Jude refused. At first I was surprised that they'd want to marry off a 10 year old, but maybe it wasn't an immediate marriage. Either way, I was glad it didn't go through because if Lucy got married, then she wouldn't have a need for a bodyguard like me anymore. I was even happier to hear that Jude said that Lucy would pick her spouse, because it was Lucy's mother's will. After all, it was Layla who chose Jude as the king by marrying him, so I'd think Jude would respect that rule. With Lucy picking her husband, there was a greater chance I could stick around longer.

Another month had passed, and a great feast was held in honor of the country's independence. The king threw a big party and had lots of fancy people come. I was a little nervous because Lucy and I were the only kids there, so we were afraid to stick out. I was even more scared that the king wouldn't let me join in because I'm just a servant and the rest of the servants were preparing for the party.

When the king saw us in the corner looking nervous, he signaled for us to come to him. I grabbed Lucy's hand, and we walked towards Jude. He smiled, and introduced _both _of us to the guests. I understood Lucy because she's royalty, but me? I'm just a peasant he hired to serve his daughter. For the rest of the night, Jude showed us around as if we were both his kids, and I kind of liked it. Even though Igneel would always be my dad, having someone like Jude as a parental figure is nice.

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><p>Now, it is the third month of my stay in the Heartfilia Castle. Lucy has made a lot of progress in her training, and she's almost ready to summon one of the Zodiac guys. I've been with her this whole time, and I'm really surprised at how fast she has been learning.<p>

One morning, Lucy and I are down in the grand dining hall, eating our breakfast and talking about things.

"Hey Natsu guess what?" Lucy asks, grabbing my attention.

"Yes?" I answer her.

"We're going to the other side of Fiore to see some sort of festival!" She says cheerfully.

"What kind of festival?" I ask.

"Well, it's got lots of different things. They have magic and other cool things too. It's called the Fantasia Parade. It's held in a town called Magnolia, really far away." She says.

"Really? I wonder if there are any other Dragon Slayers!" I say excitedly. I really want to meet another Dragon Slayer while we're there.

"You think they have Celestial Spirit Mages? We only have 10 of the 12 keys, so I wonder if the person with the other two is in that parade." She figures.

"I don't know, but this sounds like a lot of fun." I say. "When is it?"

"Well, we're leaving in about one week, because it's in November, during the Harvest Festival." She says. "We'll be taking a carriage most of the way there."

"A...carriage?" I ask nervously.

"Uh, yeah, a carriage." Lucy says. "You afraid of them or something?"

"No, it's just I get bad motion sickness, and well, if your dad finds out, I probably won't be your bodyguard anymore." I say. "He wouldn't want a dragon who can't last on vehicles anyways."

"Oh it's no big deal, I'm sure he'll be fine. Why don't you go up and ask him?" She says.

"But Lucy, what if he fires me?" I ask.

"He wouldn't do that to you Natsu. You've been an amazing bodyguard, and plus, he wouldn't ever be able to find one as powerful as you that's my age." She says to me. Her compliments make me feel warm inside, and I smile at her.

"I guess so Lucy. I'll go talk to him today. Hopefully he knows what to do." I tell her.

"Okay, well tell me what he says. I want to know if I have to bring a barf bag or not." She says jokingly. I feel a little sick thinking of me puking in the carriage. I quickly dismiss the thought and hurry out.

I wander down the hallways, which by now, I have memorized. It's kinda funny how long I've been here. When I first got here, it was a maze to me, but now I know the ins and outs of everything! I recognize every piece of furniture, even every single dragon on the walls! I started naming them too, Igneel 1, Igneel 2, Igneel the third, and so on. There are exactly 537 Igneels living on the walls of this castle! That's a lot of Igneel in here!

I giggle at my thoughts of Igneel. I thought I could forget him, but every time he slips from my thoughts for a while, he comes back in as quickly as he did that first day I met him. I really do miss him, but I'm not entirely sure what to do. For now, I'm going to live with Lucy's family. It wouldn't be fair to leave them in search of Igneel, because they're just as much of family as Igneel himself.

My thoughts of Igneel distract me from my vision and I almost walk into the door, had it not been for me realizing at the last second. I step back a bit, before knocking on the door. I hear Jude's powerful voice from the other side telling me to come inside.

"Umm, sir, I uh...well, you see...um..." I say nervously. I'm willing to admit that I'm afraid of being fired from my job. It's the first thing I've ever feared in my entire life, yet I'm not entirely sure why.

"Yes, what is it, Natsu? Is something wrong?" He asks.

"No, not rea-...Well, kinda. You see, I have...um..how do I put this?... I have motion sickness!" I say, nervously, not entirely sure how to say it. I end up blurting the last sentence out pretty quickly, so I hope he picks up on it.

Sadly, I'm left standing there for a minute, while he looked at something on his desk. I do my best not to do something to attract more attention, but it's hard with him being right in front of me and possibly going to fire me. When he looks up from his desk, he takes off a pair of glasses he uses for reading small words and smiles. This is a good sign.

"Natsu, you know you're a Dragon Slayer, right?" He asks.

"Yes sir, I'm well aware." I say.

"Well, all Dragon Slayers have motion sickness. Being the king, I have access to all forms of information. I've known this for quite a while, dear Natsu." He explains. He's known all this long?

"Really?" I ask curiously.

"Of course I do! You are a son to me, and even though it is your job to protect, not be protected, I should be well aware with all of your conditions." He says.

"So are you okay if I get motion sickness on the carriage ride to Magnolia?" I ask.

"No." He says coldly. Uh-oh, what do I do? I can't control my motion sickness! "If you get motion sickness then I would have been scammed. On my last trip to Magnolia, there was a Sky Dragon Slayer who was also a healer. She had been able to suppress the spell to cure motion sickness into a small bottle. I purchased a dozen, and you should only need two to get you through the round-trip."

Overcome with joy, I smile a huge smile at him. Igneel always told me that this smile glowed because it was so bright, so ever since then I've been smiling as brightly as I can. "Thank you so much!" I say happily.

"Not a problem, Natsu. Is there anything else you need?" He asks.

"Nope!" I say. I realize that I forgot my manners, but the king doesn't seem so affected by it.

I run out the doors and down the hallways as fast as I could without using magic. I look for Lucy at the dining hall, but I don't see her anywhere, and it looks like the servants have already come to clean up the dishes she left behind. So I sniff the air, looking for Lucy's scent. Lucy's scent is the easiest scent for me to find, which is really helpful for this kind of job. I never remember Igneel saying anything about prioritized scents though. When I track it, I follow it to the staircase. I speed up the stairs as fast as I can and knock on her door. I can hear her with my dragon senses as she gets off her bed and walks to the door. She answers it and I'm standing there, out of breath, with a bright smile on my face.

"So did it go well?" She asks.

"Yeah! You betcha! Even better than I thought!" I say.

"So you're still my dragon?" She asks.

"I'll always be your dragon, Lucy." I say.

"Good. You're the best dragon. So tell me, what happened?" She asks. She leads me to her bed, and we both lie down, facing the ceiling.

"Well, I asked him about it, and he told me that he already knew." I say.

"Sounds like my dad to me." She says. "He knows everything before everyone else does. He could predict the exact dates when each of my teeth fell out. I thought it was magic, but he's just really smart."

"Yeah, he is! So do you remember when he left for Magnolia a month or two ago?" I ask.

"Mhm, yeah. He said something about research." She says.

"Well, he went to go get some anti-motion sickness potions from a Dragon Slayer in Magnolia! Which means that I won't have motion sickness _and_ there will be a Dragon Slayer in Magnolia!" I say happily.

"Really? That's so awesome!" She says.

"Yup, now I can't wait to go!" I say excitedly.

We sit in silence for a little while, thinking about things. A few minutes later, she asks me a question. "So Natsu, do you think I could be able to summon a zodiac spirit before we leave?"

"Knowing you, you could probably summon three if you really wanted to! You're amazing Lucy, so I bet you will have no problem summoning one. And I'll practice hard with you all week!" I say encouragingly.

"Thanks Natsu." She says. "These have been three amazing months. I'm really glad you came when you did, because I don't know how else I could come to peace with my mother." Her mother, someone who I found out died the same day Igneel left. She had it worse, because at least I had the potential to see Igneel again, but Lucy can't see her mother anymore.

"Don't worry, Lucy. I'm your dragon, and a dragon's goal is to make the princess happy." I say.

"I thought it was keeping her locked up in a tower away from the Prince." She says jokingly.

"That's because the Prince is a dummy who wants nothing more than to kill the dragon and steal his treasure!" I say defensively. Lucy giggles at my defense, which only confuses me further.

"You're a silly dragon, you know that?" She says between giggles.

"You mean, I'm _your_ silly dragon." I say.

"Yes, my very own silly dragon." She says.


	4. Chapter 4: Arriving in Magnolia

**Wow, first time breaking schedule. I did have a 16 chapter streak though. That's the record (for now!).**

**This skip is actually in no way my laziness. I stayed up really late (2:30AM) trying to write this, but I was so tired I knew it was going to be awful if I posted it. So I went to bed at 2:30 AM and ended up with 2.5 hours of sleep. I know, I'm sorry for breaking schedule, and I'll do my best to avoid it in the future, but Thursdays are just terrible.**

**I almost fell asleep in class today, and I'm dead tired since like 3:00PM. Seriously guys, I can't stress the importance of sleep enough.**

**Regular posting will resume tomorrow, with Chapter 5. I'm not delaying that a day as well, mostly because I don't want another Thursday night chapter so soon. Anyways, enjoy this chapter for now. I'm terribly sorry for it being late.**

**Also, I don't think I've explained this but if I do use improper grammar, you'll see it in a character's sentences and it will most likely be on purpose.**

**Thanks Disney lovers 101, Ice and Thunder, Esme Alexis, SnowAngelSlayerTasha, orionXD, and Candy5554 for reviewing.**

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><p>It's finally time to go the Fantasia Parade! I'm so excited for it, but it might actually be because I can actually go on transportation without getting motion sick. I've never actually enjoyed a ride on something before. Or at least I don't remember so. Jude says that it's a Dragon Slayer thing, so I guess I didn't have it before I became a Dragon Slayer. But Dragon Slayer magic is the greatest magic ever, so I don't care!<p>

I packed my stuff yesterday because we're leaving pretty early today. Lucy says that it's a long ride, because it's on the other side of the country. I wonder what it's like there. I wonder if they have all different types of fire. I've only eaten regular fire and Igneel's. Igneel's fire didn't taste very good though. Maybe the Fantasia Parade has a fire mage in it. I could probably get a lot of different flames there.

"Natsu."

Now that I think about it, I never really went on that adventure I because I ended up here instead. I'm not saddened by it though, Lucy's family is great! It's kind of like my second family, or third, if you count my real parents. I don't remember my real parents though, so I wouldn't know. I wonder if they're watching me from heaven right now. I hope they are, because otherwise they'd miss out on my awesome life!

"Natsu."

Maybe I could find Igneel on my way to the Fantasia Parade. We're going to cross basically the whole country! Igneel has to be around here somewhere, so I could probably find him. If I do find him, I'm going to kick his butt and show him what happens when you leave the Natsu Dragneel behind! He won't know what hit him! I'm super tough now since I've been trained to protect the princess of the kingdom!

"Natsu!" I hear Lucy say.

"Yeah Lucy? What is it?" I ask.

"I called you three times Natsu! You were off daydreaming again, weren't you? We're going to leave soon, so take that medicine." She says. Three times? What? No way, I only heard her once!

"Oh yeah, uh okay! Be back in a minute." I say, running off to my room to go find my motion sickness vials. Jude gave me two yesterday, and told me to store them in a safe place, so right now they're in my room. I sprint up the stairs, running as fast as I can, trying to get up to my room as quickly as possible. I don't want to keep anyone waiting, so I'm running as quickly as I can.

My room is a little messy. I don't have a whole lot of time to clean it up because I'm always out having fun with Lucy in the castle. It's been a long time since I've started this job, and it's my favorite job ever. I love hanging around Lucy all the time! She's so much fun to be around, and I don't think I'll ever get tired of being her bodyguard.

I find the two vials exactly where I left them. They're right on my night table, lying on their sides. I quickly grab them and run all the way down the stairs, following the path I took up. I run outside and see everything almost ready to go. With the vials in my hand, I run over towards Lucy.

"Hey Lucy!" I say out of breath.

"Wow Natsu! That was really fast." She says surprised. Of course, Natsu Dragneel is speedy like a dragon!

"Of course. Being a dragon makes me very fast." I say.

"Yeah, you got up and down that staircase in the time it takes me just to get up!" She exclaims. "Anyways, you might wanna drink one of those vials soon. We're leaving as soon as my dad gets out here."

"Alright then." I say, popping the top off one of the vials. "Here goes nothing." I drink the liquid and it tastes kind of like...air. It's a weird taste, but it's nice. I'm glad it's not disgusting, or else I might have just gone with the motion sickness.

"Do you feel anything?" She asks. Surprisingly, I don't feel like I've changed. It's as if I drank water just there.

"Nope. Just my dragon self being an awesome dragon." I say.

"Maybe it didn't work." She points out.

"It HAS to work! I need it to work! How else am I going to survive this trip?" I ask frustratedly.

"We'll find out soon enough." Lucy says, pointing to the door that Jude just came out of.

"Alright, Natsu, Lucy, everyone, we're departing now, so board one of the carriages." Jude says.

Lucy takes my hand and we walk together towards the carriage. She and I sit down in the fanciest one. It's probably Jude's carriage considering it's nicer than the rest. A minute later, Jude shows up inside of our carriage and signals for them to start. I feel the vehicle start to jerk, but no sickness comes. We start moving slowly, no sickness comes. We pick up speed, still no sickness. I smile in happiness, finally being able to enjoy a ride.

"Hey Natsu, it worked!" She says.

"Yup! You bet!" I say happily.

"So what do you want to talk about?" She asks.

"Umm... Fire or dragons?" I ask.

"Is it always that with you?" She says and giggles, knowing that it's all I talk about. But what else is more interesting than dragons and fire? Maybe food. But fire is food, right? So there's nothing more interesting than fire and dragons.

"Well do you have something you want to talk about?" I ask.

"Nope, not really." She says.

"So I can talk about dragons?" I ask.

"Hmm... I don't know." She says.

In the end, I do end up talking about dragons. At one point in our travels, Lucy rests her head on my shoulders and closed her eyes as she listens to me talk about dragons. A little while later, she's asleep on my shoulder, and so I fall asleep too.

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><p>We spend a lot of time traveling across the country. It actually takes us 3 days to reach Magnolia, and for some reason, my motion sickness vial works the entire time! Three days of no motion sickness is the best feeling ever! I actually enjoy riding in moving stuff because it doesn't make me want to throw up my stomach!<p>

When we finally get there, I'm so tired from all of the traveling and not moving that I immediately jump out of the carriage. It's actually pretty late at night right now, so I'm pretty surprised I'm up. We're staying at a hotel in Magnolia for a day or two, or at least until the Fantasia Parade is over. Jude went inside to go get our room. He, Lucy, and I are sharing a room together the entire time. I don't mind, because it means I get to be closer to Lucy. That and the room is the nicest in the building and has lots of food. Good food too.

I look back in the carriage and I see Lucy's sleeping figure sitting down on the right side. She looks so peaceful in her sleep that I don't want to move her. It'd be really mean to make her get up. I need to think of some way to get her to our room without waking her. As I'm thinking, Jude walks out.

"Natsu, you mind waking up Lucy? I'm going to move some of our stuff to the room." Jude says.

"Actually, I have a better idea." I say. Jude looks a little confused, but then I pick Lucy up on my back. She's actually not as heavy as I thought she'd be. I make sure she's in a comfortable position before I start to walk. Jude smiles and walks in with me. As I'm climbing up the stairs I hear a groggy, sleepy groan coming from Lucy.

"Shhhhhhh. No need to wake up Lucy." I whisper to her.

"W-where are we Natsu?" She asks, yawning in the middle of her sentence.

"The hotel, Lucy. You can go back to sleep if you'd like." I offer her.

"I should walk. It's not right for you to carry me all the way up these stairs." She says.

"Actually you're pretty easy to carry up the stairs, you know that?" I ask.

"Really?" She asks.

"Yep, lightest person I know." I say.

"What about-

"You're lighter. Now go to sleep Lucy. The parade is tomorrow night." I say.

"Okay." She whispers to me.

Jude opens the door to our room, and I put Lucy down on our bed. This room has only two, so Lucy and I share one. I'm really happy because sleeping in the same bed as Lucy is the best way to sleep. I always get my best sleep when she's with me.

I pull the covers back from underneath her, and put them over her. I can see a small smile form on her lips and I smile too. I quickly run to the other side of the bed and hop in myself. I hold her close, much like any other night I spent with Lucy, and her unique scent helps me doze off. She has a weird smell, but it's a nice one. A very nice one.

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><p>When I wake up in the morning, I notice that the covers from the blanket were gone. I don't get cold, so that's probably why I didn't notice. Lucy didn't seem to notice either. But I guess that's because I'm warm and my warmth is keeping her warm. I look over to the foot of the bed and I see Jude standing there, giving a puzzled look. I'm not entirely sure what would bring that look to his face. I'm not touching anything important...<p>

right?

Lucy, LUCY! I'm hugging Lucy! My eyes drift to her for a second before returning to the king.

He doesn't look angry, which makes me happy, but he also isn't smiling brightly. Is he alright with it?

"M-Morning." I say.

"Yes, good morning Natsu." Jude responds. "Are you excited for tonight's Fantasia Parade?"

"More than ever! Me and Lucy, we're gonna watch it together!" I say excitedly.

"That's good. Though I do have a meeting with the man who's running the parade. I'm going to speak to him today before the parade." He says.

"Okay, what should Lucy and I do?" I ask him.

"Come with me, it's a foreign town so there's no way of ensuring Lucy's safety, no matter how many bodyguards are there." He explains.

"Alright, so should I get Lucy up?" I ask.

"Yes, I would appreciate that greatly." He says.

I nod, and lean back over towards Lucy. I see out of the corner of my eyes that Jude is walking over into another room. I'm a little confused, but I remember that being the king, he gets the nicest room in the entire hotel. I wouldn't be surprised if there are two floors. A new hide-and-seek arena!

I whisper quietly into Lucy's ear. "Lucy, wake up. We gotta go soon."

"Shh... I'm playing hide-and-seek _with Natsu_." She sleep talks. I feel really weird, but I don't know if it's because she's dreaming about me or that she just told me she's playing hide-and-seek with the person who's trying to wake her up.

"Lucy, come on, you gotta get up." I whisper. Suddenly, Lucy shoots up out of bed, and looks side to side before looking at me.

"FOUND YOU!" She shouts. She then looks down, realizing she's in bed, and giggles. "Your dream self is actually good at hiding."

"I'm amazing at hiding! What are you talking about?" I ask.

"Uh-huh. You're amazing at hiding in plain sight Natsu. That's probably why I find you faster than you find me!" She says.

"Well a dragon always has to watch his princess, so I can't hide too far away. It's not very hard to understand." I say simply.

"That makes a dragon pretty bad at hide-and-seek then." Lucy says.

"What if you got abducted?" I ask.

"By who? Igneel 234?" She mocks me and giggles.

"That's something Igneel 420 would do!" I say.

"No... Igneel 420 is really loopy, don't you remember?" She asks.

"Yeah well, whatever." I say, acting as though I don't care she knows the personalities of all the Igneels on the castle walls better than me.

"So what are we doing today?" She asks.

"Not much, your dad is visiting the guy who is doing the parade today." I say.

"You mean the Fairy Tail master?" She asks.

"What's Fairy Tail?" I ask.

"It's a famous guild in this town. They put on this parade every year." She says. There's a famous guild in Magnolia?

"Really?" I ask.

"Yep! And so we're going to that guild today. I heard they're really awesome! They are the strongest guild in all of Fiore, after all." She says.

Suddenly, Jude walks through those doors connected to the bedroom again and says, "Yes, that's correct. We're going to visit the Fairy Tail guild today. They're full of young mages at about the same ages as you. You should both get ready. We're going to be there most of the day, until of course the parade begins."

We listen to Jude's instructions, and the two of us get ready for the parade. I don't have to do much, but Lucy takes longer than me. Either way, we're out really quickly and we follow Jude out of the hotel. We walk down the street with Lucy between Jude and I.

"That's the building, right up there." Jude says, pointing to a huge building right on the water.

"Woah! That's a guild hall? It's huge!" I say shockingly. That's one really big building!

"Yes, and we're going to be there all day. I'm sure you two will have plenty of fun together." He says. A minute later, we're at the front doors of the guild, and we walk into it, pushing the doors open and looking inside. There were tons of people in here! And they were all really weird too! But right as the door opens, everyone stops what they're doing, whatever it is, and turn to us. They bow, and greet us as royalty.

"Greetings, King Jude, Princess Lucy, and Natsu Dragneel." An old man, who is a little shorter than me, says.

"Hello Mr. Makarov. I came in for a visit. It's been a while since I've been to this guild." He says. "You've really changed it up."

"Yes. Well, I'm going to need to discuss some personal matters with you, regarding the parade. Not even my children know about it, so would you please come with me. In the mean time, Natsu and Princess, would you mind staying out here with the rest of the guild? Why don't you meet all of the guild members?" Makarov says. "AND BE NICE, YOU BRATS! ONE SCRATCH ON THE PRINCESS AND YOU'RE DEAD." Yeah, they're dead, because I'll kill anyone who dares touch Lucy.

I'm not sure if I should introduce myself first or if they should. I don't get to decide, because Lucy does it before I get the chance to.

"Hello, everyone! My name is Lucy Heartfilia and this is my closest friend and dragon Natsu Dragneel." Lucy says.

"He's a real life dragon?" A blue haired girl who was sitting at a table reading a book.

"Obviously not, you idiot!" A dark haired male says.

"GRAY! WHAT DID YOU SAY?" An angry looking redhead said.

"Oh, here goes nothing. No princess is going to survive this." A young brown haired girl says. I move defensively in front of Lucy.

"No one is going to touch Lucy on my watch." I say defensively.

"And you are?" They all ask.

"Natsu Dragneel! Didn't you hear Lucy introduce me?" I ask defensively.

"She said Natsu was a dragon though." The dark haired male says.

"Gray, quiet. Let's introduce ourselves. My name is Erza Scarlet."

"Gray Fullbuster." The dark haired male says.

"Levy McGarden." The blue haired girl who was reading says.

"Cana Alberona." The brunette said.

"There are a few others." Erza says. "They will be here soon enough. People have been finishing their jobs today in order to prepare for the Fantasia Parade."


	5. Chapter 5: An Explosive Parade

**Back for another chapter, with a lot more sleep! I think that this story will be longer than Dragon's Roar, maybe even my longest, but I'm not sure just yet. It depends how I finalize everything.**

**Oh and remember that these people will take on their 10 year old selves' personalities and their respective guilds. That's why, for example, Juvia isn't in Fairy Tail. So if you're wondering why they act a certain way, it's because that's how I'd think they'd act in that time.**

**Thanks to SnowAngelSlayerTasha, Candy5554, Esme Alexis, Ice and Thunder, and Disney lovers 101 for reviewing.**

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><p>This Fairy Tail place seems a little weird. There are so many people my and Lucy's age! I thought the strongest guild would be made up of older people who were more powerful. The master is pretty old though, and I bet he's pretty powerful.<p>

Lucy and I are basically thrown at the guild members. I guess it'd be cool to show them all my awesome magic. Maybe that Sky Dragon Slayer I've heard about lives here. For now, I'll just see what happens. I'm not really used to being around people who can preform all these different types of magic.

"Are you guys going to be in the Fantasia Parade?" Lucy asks.

"Yes. Most of our guild members will be in it. We have a no-taking-jobs rule in place on this day, so everyone is able to attend." Erza says.

"That's awesome!" Lucy says. "Hey, can you show me your magic? I'm a Celestial Spirit Mage while Natsu is a Fire Dragon Slayer."

"Sure. I use Requip Magic." Erza says. She starts to glow a bright yellow before all of her clothes change to some crazy looking armor with a sword. Sounds cool, but I'm not the weapons and armor type.

"I use Ice-Make Magic. I can make just about anything out of ice." Gray says, before creating an ice hammer. I think that magic is pretty cool, but cold isn't as awesome as hot. Hot is always better than cold.

"My magic is called Solid Script. I can make a word out of its element and use it to attack." Levy says. She makes fire, which catches my attention, and before she can make it go away, I eat it.

"Hey, Natsu! Don't eat someone else's magic!" Lucy scolds me. She obviously doesn't know how delicious fire is.

"Did you just...eat fire?" Levy asked confusedly.

"Yeah, Dragon Slayers can eat their own element." I say. "I can eat all different kinds of fire."

"Yeah, including stove fire." Lucy says rolling her eyes.

"Hey, it's actually really tasty!" I defend myself. It's not easy to keep myself from eating something so delicious that's right in front of me!

"So anyways, what magic do you use Cana?" Lucy asks, probably not wanting to continue the conversation we were about to have.

"I use Card Magic. I can tell fortunes and use my cards to attack." Cana says.

"Oh cool! You all use pretty cool magics." Lucy says.

We stand there, not really saying much for a minute or two. I don't have anything to talk about, so I keep my mouth shut. I guess Lucy's run out of questions, so I'll just wait until someone speaks up.

"So what do you want to do? We have a few hours before the parade begins." Gray asks.

"I don't know. Could we show them around?" Cana asks.

"It wouldn't hurt." Erza says.

For the next hour, we go around the guild hall and see everything in it. They introduce us to some of the members before we go outside. When we get to the backyard, we see a huge pool out back, but no one is in it. It's pretty strange because the other people look like they're pretty hot. I don't know because I don't get affected by temperature, but those guys look like they're melting.

"How come nobody is in the pool?" I ask.

"Well, see for yourself." Levy says.

"Alright. I don't see what would make this pool that scary that no one is in it." I say.

In full clothes, I run really fast and jump into the pool. I notice a huge temperature change externally, but I don't feel cold at all. I move towards the wall from the middle of the pool and pull myself back out of the pool. Once out, I dry myself completely using my Fire Dragon Slayer Magic. They look at me weirdly.

"Does Dragon Slayer Magic make you resistant to the cold too?" Levy asked.

"Yeah. I don't get hot or cold." I say.

"So you actually like this cold swimming pool?" Cana asks.

"I don't care the temperature of the pool. As long as there is one." I say.

"Really? I thought a Fire Dragon Slayer would hate water since they can't use their magic in it." Levy says.

"Not true. I can use mine in the ocean. It's weaker, but it does work." I explain.

"Then would you please heat up the pool?" Erza asks.

"Sure, but why is it cold at this time of year? Wouldn't you want to keep the pool warm?" I ask.

"Yeah, most of us. Except Gray." Cana says.

"Hey, don't blame me! I hate warm water, so I cool it in order to swim in it!" Gray says.

"Yeah and it's cold for the rest of the day!" Cana says.

I walk towards the pool, hoping to not get involved in the argument. Sometimes these people could really be weird.

"Don't you dare heat that pool up Natsu." I hear Gray say from behind me.

"And what if I did?" I ask tauntingly. Nobody tells the Natsu Dragneel what to do...except well maybe Lucy sometimes.

"You'll regret it for the rest of the day!" He says.

"Yeah, whatever." I say, and stick my hand into the water. I start to heat up the pool and I notice that it's working quicker than that time I tried to breathe fire in that lake. I guess it's because there's less salt in this water than there is in that lake.

I didn't expect what was about to happen. I feel a force colliding with my back, as I'm leaning over to warm the pool. The force pushes me into the pool and I get really angry. The idiot who did that is going to pay! I turn around and see Gray laughing his ass off. I'll show him!

I grab him quickly by his arm and drag him in with me. His smile is immediately gone. I smirk evilly and light my hands on fire. I heat up the pool as quick as I can, turning it really warm. This has to make Gray angry!

"Hey, what the hell man? Don't pull me into the pool! And stop making it so warm!" Gray shouts.

"They asked for it you moron! Don't blame me!" I shout back. Gray is starting to be an ass.

"Well stop making it warm! It's so much better when it's cold!" Gray shouts.

"No way! Hot is a million times better!" I shout back.

"COLD!" Gray shouts.

"HOT!" I shout.

"Quiet Gray!" Erza shouts.

"Yes m'am. But what about this flame freak?" He asks. How dare he call me a flame freak!

"He's a guest of honor, so I can't punish him. That's up to the princess or the king." She says.

"Please, call me Lucy." Lucy says. I know how she doesn't like it when people call her princess. She says it's too formal and it makes her feel uncomfortable.

"Sorry Lucy. Feel free to hit me to make up for my crimes." Erza says. I laugh at Lucy's reaction. She has that really cute shocked face. Did I just say cute?

"So are you guys coming in? If this bastard is gonna warm up the pool, I want it to be used. It's really annoying to cool it you know." Gray says.

"Yeah, we'll be right in." The girls say. They come into the pool a little bit later, all changed into swimsuits. I take off my shirt and change into a pair of shorts that is easier to swim in. Of course, the scarf is not taken off. In fact, I tie it around my head so I won't lose it.

After playing the pool for a while, we decide to come inside. We're standing right at the entrance, along one of the walls in a small circle. They're still kind of wet, but I'm as dry as a desert! Another awesome part of being a Fire Dragon Slayer.

"Jeez Natsu, you're so lucky to be a Fire Dragon Slayer, you know that?" She says to me.

"Of course I am. It's super awesome!" I say proudly.

"Yeah, I wish I could dry myself off like that." Levy says.

"I wish I could do that too." Lucy says.

"I can for you." I offer. It's really not that hard.

"Wouldn't that burn me?" Lucy asks. "You haven't done it before."

"If I'm precise enough, I can dry you off." I say. Lucy is silent for a minute. I bet she's thinking if she can trust me or not. It's obvious that I can do this! I can be very precise with my fire!

"Alright, fine. Just don't burn my hair." She says sternly.

"Okay, well here I go. Tell me if you feel pain. I'll start from the top down." I say. I lead Lucy towards a chair and she sits down in it. I light my right hand on fire and grab her hair gently with the left. I raise the hair slightly and bring my right hand towards the hair. I hold it in place and feel it slowly dry as the heat from my fire comes in contact with her hair. Once the ends of her hair are dried, I move my lit hand up her hair, while staying a safe distance away to prevent her hair from burning. On my way up, I accidentally let my hand fall down a bit onto Lucy's hair, and my eyes go wide.

Her hair...isn't burning! I'm super happy, but shouldn't it be burning? Hair burns, right? So why wouldn't my fire be burning her hair?

Now that I think about it, Igneel did tell me about fire and burning stuff. He said there was one special person you couldn't burn with your fire, but I don't remember who it is. Something about special someones and significant others. I don't really understand it though. Isn't everyone special and significant?

"Ahhhh, that felt good Natsu. Your fire is very soothing." She says. I smile at her compliment. Trusting my new discovery, I slide my hand down closer to her hair. I actually grab it and dry it off directly. I gently dry the rest of her hair off the same way, and I can see smiles from Lucy's face.

Once I finish the hair, everything is easy. I move very quickly, drying off her face, arms, legs, feet, and hands. I make sure to avoid touching her privates directly, because I'm sure that would get me a bump on the head.

"All done!" I say.

"Wow, Natsu that's amazing!" Lucy says. "You have to do that more often!"

I say nothing and smile. For the rest of the day, we talk about my magic and my past. Their concerning faces make me laugh, but I'm serious about finding Igneel. And I will search for him until I do!

We see a door open and a familiar face come out. We say goodbye to our new friends at the table.

Around sunset, Jude comes out from where he was talking to Makarov. We walk towards him and he tells us we're going to watch the Fantasia Parade together from the top of the guild hall. I'm really excited for it! He also says we'll be some of the only people in the building because all of Fairy Tail's present members are participating in the event.

We walk up to the top of the building and find the balcony. There's some nice things set up to watch the parade: A fancy throne (probably for Jude), a table full of food (that has me drooling), and a table for eating. The view looks really amazing! This is the best way to watch the parade! We're told that this is about the middle of the parade's course.

Lucy and I sit down next to each other at the balcony after grabbing some food. We haven't eaten all day, and this food is really tasty. I'm sitting to Lucy's left, and we're currently on the right side of the balcony. Jude is sitting on the left.

An hour later, the actual parade starts. We don't see it for another fifteen minutes, when the first float comes into view. It's Gray's and there is a giant ice castle with a Fairy Tail logo on it. It looks pretty cool, but having a water mage there would have made it look a lot cooler.

A few more unknown faces pass until I see Levy. She's making fireworks with her magic and they explode into a lot of different colors. It's really dazzling. Erza is three floats behind her, and she is showing off some cool Requip Magic. I thought Requip only worked with armor, but she also has dresses in her inventory too, I guess.

Jude gets up and tells us he's going to see Makarov because he has one more question to ask him. He tells us he'll be back in twenty minutes and we nod. Lucy and I are having so much fun watching this together that we don't really care if he disappears for ten minutes or an hour. I see him walk out of the building a minute later towards the back of the parade. I guess Makarov would be there, if anywhere.

No longer focused on the parade, I hear a ticking noise. It's slow at first, happening at a rate of one per second, but then I hear it more and more quickly. Once it picks up speed, I realize that it's a bomb lacrima. There's probably only five seconds left before it blows up, so I do the only thing I could think of doing.

I hear the bomb to my left, which is good because Lucy is sitting on my right. I grab her in a tight embrace and use myself as a shield. She begins to question me, but then I hear it. The boom. The bomb explodes and heat envelops us. I shield Lucy and eat the fire that tries to make contact with her skin.

We're launched off the roof of the building, and are going pretty fast. It was some forceful bomb, and if it weren't for me being a Dragon Slayer, we'd both be dead. Right now, we're falling and I'm on top of Lucy. I quickly switch it so that Lucy is on top of me, and we fall onto an open field. I think I've broken my back, because I have a hard time getting up.

"You okay Natsu?" Lucy asks.

"Yeah..urk...I'm fine. Don't worry...about...me." I say.

"You sound awful. Can you even get up?" She asks.

"No. I can't really move. The explosion wasn't bad, but the fall was." He says.

There's a pierced guy that's a few years older than me who shows up where we are. He has long black hair. Lucy gets up to try to block me, afraid that this guy is the attacker. I'd doubt it because he looks nothing more than a teenage kid.

"Gihi, so the Salamander and Princess live." He says.

"Who are you? Did you plant that bomb?" Lucy asks.

"You liked that little treat the master left you? Phantom Lord was just paying back what it owed. The name's Gajeel Redfox, and my order is to bring back the princess alive. So come with me, or else you might get hurt." He says.

"Don't you even dare to touch her!" I say, finding some strength to get to my feet. I'm really bruised badly, but I need to protect Lucy. I promised myself I would protect her until the bitter end!

"And what are you going to do about it? You look pretty weakened by that bomb to me. Almost as if I could just kick you right over and you'd stay down." He says tauntingly. And he's right.

"Yes. You're right. You can do just that, and I'd probably be dead. But I promised Lucy that I'd protect her, and I won't stop until the day I die!" I shout.

"If that's how you wanna go out, I'll settle for that." Gajeel says. I prepare myself to fight, but I don't have any time to react before a giant metal pole is shoved into my face. I fall onto my back. I use some of my last bits of energy to sit up.

"How's that Salamander? Feeling any pain?" He asks.

Lucy runs over to me and hugs me. "Natsu, please don't."

"I'm sorry." I whisper. I stand up, and shout back to Gajeel, "You're right. That hurt like hell! You'll probably kill me in under ten, but as long as I protect the princess, show me your worst!"

Another jab, this time to the stomach. I fall back again, onto my back which is probably already broken from that first fall. I puke up, and I almost choke on it until I roll over and extend my arms so that my face is elevated. I let all of the puke out of me. My vision is starting to go, but one thing I can clearly see is Lucy's crying face. I'm probably bleeding internally right now, and the external marks keep on coming.

Breathing heavily, I manage to stand up. I face Gajeel once more.

"Any last words Salamander? You are a Dragon Slayer, and it will be a shame to your dragon to know you died so easily." He says.

"I'm not kicking the bucket anytime soon, I assure you." I say.

"Oh yeah? Well this one is the last nail in the coffin!" He shouts and his arm turns into a metal pole again. It charges toward me incredibly fast, and I watch my extremely short life flash before my eyes. They're mostly memories with Igneel, but there are lots of them of Lucy. My two favorite people are crossing through my mind simultaneously. And I know one thing for certain.

That hit will be my last.


	6. Chapter 6: Starting in the Sand

**I've been writing a new one-shot, you can expect it tomorrow, but no promises. Of course, it's Natsu and Lucy, just like everything else I write. It's sad, but not tragic!**

**Oh and if you are a Gajeel fan and mad at me for making him evil, don't worry... Gajeel is going to appear more than once in this story.**

**Nothing special in this Author's Note. Except a big thanks for reviewing! The reviewers are Esme Alexis, Candy5554, Disney lovers 101, Ice and Thunder, and bluerainst0rm.**

**Also, thanks for the constructive criticism. I very much appreciate it, and I'll do my best to avoid saying "said" so much.**

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><p>I close my eyes, bracing for impact, but it never comes. Instead I feel the box I'm in shake. Wait a minute! I'm not in a box! I'm fighting this Gajeel guy! I open my eyes and look out through this glass window. I'm in a giant brown box! I see Gajeel trying to break the glass in front of me, but it's not budging. I look to my right, where Lucy is standing, and I see her sneak through behind the box. She opens the glass window to the box and sits inside with me.<p>

"Horologium! Return to the Spirit World!" Lucy commands it. So this big brown box is actually the giant clock guy? That means Lucy saved my life!

"T-thanks Lucy. You saved my life." I say.

"No problem. Sometimes the protectors need a bit of protecting themselves." She says. I nod gratefully and turn my attention to the window. I notice it starting to glow, and then I look over to Lucy who is also glowing. I look at my hand, seeing it glowing as well. Is this how we get back to the Spirit World?

Suddenly the view outside the clock completely changes into something more starry and colorful. The sky looks like a bright purple, but it isn't dark outside! I don't really understand what's going on, but I'm guessing this is what the Spirit World looks like.

I don't see a whole lot, because my vision starts to fade. I try to resist it as much as I can, but I can't do anything to fight the fatigue that I'm feeling. I blink a few times, trying to keep my eyes from fully closing, but the effort proves futile when my eyes don't open the next time I close them.

What seems to be hours later, I wake up on some sort of operating table. I look around and see myself being healed. It's really cool looking magic that's flowing into my body. I quickly scan for Lucy, and she's sitting on a chair next to me.

"Lucy?" I ask. She turns to look at me with a smile. "Where am I?" I notice her puffy red eyes and I can tell she's been crying. "Lucy, why were you crying? Did someone hurt your feelings? Do I have to kick the shit outta someone?"

She giggles at my choice of words, but continues to say, "I thought... I thought you weren't gonna wake up. That metal guy hit you pretty hard and I don't want to live in a world without you. So please, Natsu, don't scare me like that. I thought you were dead Natsu. You didn't wake up, not even when I opened your eyelids, you still didn't wake up."

"L-Lucy, I'm sorry! I didn't mean to, I swear! I was trying to stay awake, but I couldn't." I apologize, ended dejectedly.

"It's okay, Natsu. I'm just glad you're okay now. Nothing else matters. And to answer your question, we're in the Spirit World. I learned that this place is where the Celestial Spirits reside when they're not being summoned. So that's why you see Virgo and Horologium." She says.

"Spirit World? How'd I get through?" I ask.

"Well, we use Spirit World clothes in the castle, which we get from Virgo. Many of your bodyguard outfits came from the Spirit World, and I don't know much about your scarf, but your scarf was perfectly fine coming through. I guess dragon scales are fine too." She says.

"What's happening to me?" I ask.

"You're being healed right now, Natsu. Virgo says you'll be back on your feet by tomorrow morning. We'll be able to meet up with dad really quickly, and we'll be home super fast!" She says excitedly.

"Yup! I'm feeling better already. Who knows, maybe we can leave sooner than later!" I suggest cheerfully.

"Yeah." She says, then yawns. "That'd be nice."

"You tired Lucy?" I ask.

"Yeah, I haven't slept in a long time! We had to wake up early yesterday and I was afraid to sleep while you were out cold." She complains.

"Then come here, and sleep next to me!" I tell her.

"Okay!" She says cheerfully, before sliding onto the table next to me. It's not extremely comfortable, but I do my best to make sure she's having as good of a sleep as I can ensure for her.

Some more hours later, Lucy and I wake up on the table, and I feel back to full energy. I look over to Virgo, and see her waiting for us to wake up. Lucy is still dead asleep, so she cannot do whatever it is she wants to.

An hour later, Lucy wakes up, and Virgo begins to talk. The first thing she tells us about is how the flow of time works in the Celestial Realm. She says that one day in this place is actually 3 months in the normal world! Three whole freaking months! Does that mean Jude thinks we've been missing for three months? Oh no! What do we do? He's probably gone home by now. At least we'll be in the village, right? Then we can just contact people and get ourselves a ride back to Crocus, where the capital is.

Unfortunately, Virgo says otherwise. Apparently, Horologium is going to enter Earthland in a random spot in the Kingdom of Fiore, which is really annoying. We're not going to have any idea where to go! Virgo says that Horologium will, however, show up within 100 miles of Magnolia. So maybe we can get back to the town.

Lucy and I really want to get going back home. We know that the longer stay in here, the longer it will take us to find our home. So as soon as I can walk, we're given supplies to continue on our journey.

Some of our supplies include food and water, which I guess makes sense if we're in the wilderness. I really hope we end up in a town. Having to wander through deep forest or something stupid like that would be terrible.

Lucy and I say our goodbyes before we hop back into Horologium. I don't know if I can trust this clock guy's location. I really hope we end up in a town. I'd hate to have to walk through some uncharted lands. He travels through the gate once more, and we're back in our world. I think it's pretty cool to travel through the gate with him. My thoughts of traveling between Celestial and Earthland Realms is cut short by our arrival back in Earthland.

We're in a desert. A huge desert! All I can see is sand, for miles and miles! I'm really scared that we're extremely far from Magnolia. I want to complain to Horologium about how our destination is awful, but he's gone before I can even open my mouth. I look over to Lucy and she looks terrified. I know that I have to be brave to give her hope. So I push out all of my fears, and I extend my hand to Lucy. I smile brightly.

"Come on Lucy! Let's start our adventure home together!" I say cheerfully. She nods and takes my hand, and we begin to walk.

I don't know if we're going in the right direction. I don't know if we're leaving the country. I definitely don't know how long it will take us to get home, but I have to be brave. I have to be brave for Lucy, because if I'm not, than nobody will be. And I don't want Lucy feeling like she's alone. She's not, because she has me.

I'm looking for a path. If I can find a path, we can probably find a town. It'll probably be a while before that, so I need to find something to talk about.

"Hey Lucy, this is kind of funny. Remember how I said I was going on that adventure when I first met you? I finally am now. And look, you get to come along with me!" I reminisce happily.

"Yeah, I just hope dad isn't worried. He's probably looking all over for us." She points out sadly.

"Don't worry, if you stick with me, we'll make it back just fine!" I reassure her confidently. "All we gotta do is find a town, and we should be good from there, right?" She nods, and we continue to walk in this barren desert.

It's almost nighttime, and I heard it gets really cold in deserts at nighttime. I'm afraid that Lucy will be cold, so I have to make sure to keep her warm. As I'm thinking of ways of doing so, I hear her shriek and I turn around. She's falling in quicksand!

"Lucy hold up! I got you!" I say confidently.

"HELP! Natsu! HELP!" She shouts.

I rummage through the bag that Virgo gave me, looking for different things I could use to pull her out. I find one that looks exceptionally good. It's a magical whip of sorts, but it's made of stars. I don't have much time so I extend it using some of my magic, and toss it out to her. She grabs it, and pulls up on it. I reel her in, almost like a fish, and I hug her as soon as she's on dry ground.

"Jeez, that was close." I say.

"Thanks again Natsu." She responds.

"No problem Lucy. I told you that if you sticked with me, you'd be A-okay!" I say, giving her a bright smile. She smiles back, though it's hard to see at nighttime in the desert.

It's really late at night now, and Lucy's pretty cold. I'm holding her on my back while she tries to sleep, and I'm making progress to wherever we have to go. In the distance I see a very dim light on the horizon. Expecting a town, I run forward as fast as I can. My excitement accidentally wakes Lucy up, to which I apologize to her for. She says it's okay, and I continue on running.

As we start to approach it, I notice it looks like a pretty weird town. The closer and closer it gets, the less and less occupied it looks. When we're finally close enough to it, we realize it's not actually a town, but desert ruins!

"Hey Lucy, there are desert ruins in here, how about we find a good place to sleep down here?" I ask. She nods silently, because she's beyond exhausted. I can't blame her because she's been up very late for the past few days. We walk into the ruins quietly, and go down a floor. I make sure to avoid any traps that I come across, although most have long since broken.

I find a well insulated room that feels a lot warmer than the rest. It's old and dusty, but the floor rather clean. I use my fire to clean the floor with excessive heat, and by the time I'm done, this room looks a lot like it used to when it was first built. I lie down and have Lucy rest on me so that she gets better sleep. She's in my arms the whole night and I make sure not to let her go. I hold her like my life depends on it.

In the morning, I wake up to see Lucy going through the bag. She's eating some of the food we were given. There aren't any meats in the bag, which makes me frown, but food is food, and I'm really hungry, so I accept the bread and go on with it. We spend a few minutes eating the bread.

"Lucy, you wanna keep exploring the ruins or head out for a town?" I ask her.

"How about we explore the ruins. There might be some treasure!" She says excitedly. I nod in agreement, and we get up and start walking again. We go down yet another staircase, and now we're down far enough that there is no natural lighting. I light my right hand on fire, and hold Lucy's in my left. I don't want anything to happen to her.

Lucy seems intrigued by the art on the walls. I think it looks kind of stupid, because the people look weird, but for some reason, Lucy likes it. We eventually come up to this room that has a coffin with a wrapped up thingy in it. I think it's a body, but I'm not sure what they put in those things.

I see a gap in the floor. It's dug down pretty deep. I guess it was meant to be a pitfall trap. I look down as far as I can, and I can barely see some spikes with dead bodies on them. Suddenly, the ground I'm standing on slips, and I fall off into the pit! As I'm falling, I grab onto a rock jutting out from the wall. I quickly hoist myself back onto that rock, and I use my Dragon Slayer Magic to get back up to the surface where Lucy is. Once up there, I carry her across with me.

Of course, this deserted structure happens to have the prevalent arrow and tiled floor trap design that most places had back in these days. I use my Fire Dragon's Roar and break the launching mechanisms on each and every dispenser. Normally I'd have fun with the dispensers and the tiled plates on the floor, but I don't want to risk injuring Lucy. I felt bad destroying it because for ancient people, it was actually pretty advanced for their time.

Finally, we arrive in a small room with a pool of water. Coffins line the sides of the walls, and there's one at the back pool of the water.

I shine my light elsewhere, and I notice there's a lot more in here than just dead bodies. There's loads and loads of treasure! Inside the little pool of water, hundreds and thousands of little pieces of gold are of our eyes go wide, and then we simultaneously look at each other, smiling as bright as the sun. We explore all of the different jewels and pieces of gold. We put a lot of the more valuable looking things we could find in our bag, and Lucy kept a crown we found. I took a small scepter that had a dragon head on it. I made sure to grab a lot of gold coins to sell for extremely high values.

"What do we do with the stuff we can't grab?" Lucy asks.

"Well, we'll leave it here for now. If there are no nearby towns, then we probably won't come back for it. So just take the things you like the most." I explain to her.

"Oh alright. I think I got enough stuff, and I kind of want to get out of here. I don't want to get trapped down here or something." She says nervously.

"Yup, these things always have secret traps, so let's go Lucy." I agree, grabbing her hand, and leading her out the door. As we're walking up the stairs, a giant slab of sandstone comes down from the ceiling, effectively trapping us in. I imagine that it's one of the traps in this burial site. Unfortunately, they didn't expect me to be a Dragon Slayer, and I busted through the sandstone easily. We run outside and sigh in relief once we see the outdoors again.

"Those tombs really creep me out." Lucy says.

"Don't worry, we have enough money to last us a long time thanks to that." I assure her. "We won't need to visit any tombs for a while."

"Should we head on tonight, Natsu?" Lucy asks.

"Yep, we'll go as far as we can. If we can find a civilization today, we'll have a place to sell the gold stuff we didn't want." I say, informing her of our plan.

We wander aimlessly through the desert that day. We look around for towns, roads, and paths. Nothing turns up by sunset and we pick a good hill to camp out on top of. I lie down and Lucy snuggles up next to me. I hold her close to keep her warm, and we look at the stars in the sky. She explains all the constellations in the sky, and I ask why they sound familiar. She says it's because her spirits are named after and based on each specific constellation. It made sense to me, so I let her go back to talking about constellations until we both fell asleep.

I really miss home, Jude, and the nice people at the castle, but this adventure is really promising and sounds like it will be a lot of fun! I can't wait to continue exploring!


	7. Chapter 7: Hargeon is Calling!

**New Posting Schedule.**

**1. Friday  
><strong>**2. Sunday (and on occasion Saturday)  
><strong>**3. Tuesday (if Saturday, then Monday)**

**Before you freak out, it's still basically the same every other day schedule, except I have two days between Tuesday and Friday.**

**This would've been uploaded Friday, but I fell asleep halfway through writing it.**

**Also, next chapter will be up tomorrow!**

**Thank you bluerainst0rm for adding my story to your community, Gotta Love NaLu!**

**Thanks to Ice and Thunder, Disney lovers 101, Esme Alexis, Candy5554, bluerainst0rm, and orionXD for reviewing.**

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><p>The next morning, we wake up and look down the hill. My eyes go wide and I look to Lucy's and see the same reaction. A bright smile spreads across my face and we look at each other before sprinting down the hill.<p>

It's a town! Finally some sort of civilization that is still in use! Maybe we can get home quickly if we talk to the locals. I'm sure they know exactly where Crocus is.

Although our raid of the temple may have been pretty successful, we don't really have a use of these valuables until we get a place to sell them. But more importantly, I just want to get home. And I'm sure Lucy wants to even more. She has a father waiting for her. I wonder how he is right now. Does he think that we're dead? I hope not because he'd probably call me a failure.

The town is in the middle of the desert, so even though it's really warm outside, having civilization nearby is a calming thought. I'm just glad to know I'm not alone out in the desert with little to no food or water.

We run into the small inn as soon as we found one. I'm dying for a nice pleasant sleep and I'm sure Lucy is too. We check in, and I go look for a place to sell our valuables. I search throughout the town until I find a small museum that seemed to have exhibits on the exact pyramids. The man tells me that each gold coin is worth 2,000,000 jewels, which I guess makes sense because it's a rare artifact, but I only sold the ten we had for 1 million each. The man seemed to be thankful that I sold him these artifacts.

I quickly run towards the hotel to pay the nightly fee, which is surprisingly cheap for a small remote town like the one it's located in. I would have thought it'd be more expensive. Regardless, I meet up with Lucy up in our room and show her all of the money that we made. Her eyes sparkle at the sight of the huge amounts of money I have, but I shrug it off and put the money away in my backpack.

Lucy goes to sit on the bed, and I sit next to her. She pulls out Virgo's key, and summons the spirit.

"Virgo can I please have some pajamas from the Spirit World?" She asks Virgo.

"Yes, one minute princess." Virgo responds before making a big 'poof' and disappearing into thin air. A minute later, she's back with a pair of pajamas. Both shirt and pants are blue and decorated with yellow stars. I think it looks kind of cool, but I'd definitely go for something with dragons.

"Excuse me for a moment, Sir Natsu." Virgo says.

"No need for the formalities!" I respond, hoping to not be called 'Sir' ever again. It's too weird and not very dragon-like. Dragons would be called beasts or savages, but definitely not 'Sir'!

"Thinking aloud, are we?" Lucy taunts playfully.

"Sh-Shutup!" I shout, trying to defend myself from her games. She plays some mean games on people.

Virgo returns again with some more pajamas. These ones are red with darker red dragons.

"Your clothes, Natsu." She says, extending the hand that the pajamas are in.

"Thanks Virgo." I reply, before going to the bathroom to change into my new pajamas. While I'm in there, I notice that while the outside is red with dark red dragons, the inside is blue with yellow stars much like Lucy's. Maybe it's the standard design and Lucy just doesn't ask for anything special.

I come out of the bathroom a minute later to find a passed out Lucy sleeping all sprawled out on the bed. I muffle a laugh and lightly rest myself next to her. I pull the covers back and wish Lucy a goodnight.

When I wake up, I can't find Lucy anywhere. I search the room, the bathroom, and even under the beds, but no Lucy! I finally decide to step outside and I see her staring out into the desert with a blank face. I'm kind of confused as to why she's doing this, but she'd probably get angry if I were to do anything. I see a tear fall from her right eye and trickle down her face. She doesn't even attempt to move it, but instead adds another. And another... And another... After a minute she's bawling out on my shoulder.

"N-Natsu, what do we do?" She asks fearfully.

"We go home to your dad!" I proclaim cheerfully.

"But he probably thinks we're dead!" She says sadly, tears still falling from her face.

"Don't worry Lucy. He doesn't, I'm sure he believes in us." I comfort her.

"You really think so?" She asks, looking up in disbelief.

"I _know _so! He didn't hire a faulty dragon!" I say proudly. "This dragon will make sure his princess gets home safely!"

"Well if I have a dragon like you..." She starts, wiping away her tears, "...then there's nothing to worry about!" She smiles a bright smile. I'm glad to see her smile again.

"Well come on now, Lucy! We have to get places! We need to get home as soon as possible!" I say cheerfully.

"Yeah!" She shouts enthusiastically. I smile at her newfound determination. A minute ago she didn't believe in herself, but now she's more confident than me!

Surprisingly, when we woke up, it was actually morning, which means we slept for 15 hours. I'm surprised, because usually I don't sleep more than 12, but maybe we were just so tired from everything that's happened in previous days.

It's an unusual morning. Lucy waking up in my bed and fifteen hours of sleep is insanely awesome! Well, only one thing is normal this morning. I'm hungry. So very hungry. And I'm not alone. I can hear Lucy's stomach grumbling louder and more clear than my own.

Lucy and I get ready for the morning. Of course I start first because Lucy takes longer in the bathroom. It's not much, maybe like an extra five minutes. But apparently, that's a fast time. Either way we're out of the room really quickly. As soon as we leave the room, we go down to the front desk. Thankfully, there's a giant map of Fiore on the wall, showing where everything is. We're at the southwest corner of the country, but we have to go the northeast. From the looks of it, Hargeon is the closest major city.

"Excuse me, what's the fastest way to get to Hargeon?" I ask.

"There's a group of people who take people to and from Hargeon on a monthly basis. They travel by carriage and the best place to meet up with them is right on the outskirts of town." She says.

"When does the next group leave?" I ask.

"3 weeks." She says. 3 WEEKS? I'm not waiting three weeks! Not for a stupid carriage! I'd rather walk!

"How far away is it? In miles?" I question. I'll walk instead of waiting a month for a stupid carriage ride.

"It's about 25 miles." She tells me.

"Okay, thank you." I say before walking towards Lucy, who is still looking over the map.

"It's weird don'tcha think? My dad rules all of this." She observes, pointing towards the map.

"He's a good ruler. I think he'll do a really great job of protecting the kingdom." I say.

"Yeah. I never thought the kingdom could be this large! Look at it! It must be extremely hard to manage all of that." She says.

"Yeah, probably is." I respond in agreement. "Anyways, we can either walk 25 miles and be there sooner, or wait three weeks for a group of people to take us. What would you rather do?"

"Walk. I want to be home as soon as possible, and if walking is the fastest way then I'll go that way." She says.

"Alright, well, do you want to leave tomorrow?" I ask.

"Sure, it'll take a while to get there, it'd be best if we had a full day of walking." She answers.

We spend the rest of the day packing our stuff up again, getting more food and water, and some change clothes. I'm really happy we found that temple because Lucy's clothes are really expensive for some reason.

We go to sleep early that night, and I wake up at 5:30A.M. I get up and get ready to leave. Once I'm done, I walk over to Lucy and gently nudge her awake. I smile at her, and when she opens her eyes, she smiles back. She gets up a minute later, and she gets ready. While she does, I sit by the window and look out at the vast desert expanse. I wonder why nobody else ever found that temple. It's not very well hidden, and it's pretty close to town.

Lucy taps me on the back of my shoulder, signaling that it's time to go. I get up and walk over towards her, and we exit the inn together. I grab my hand in hers and we walk straight out of town and into the unknown.

As we're walking down the path, we don't really speak. But I notice that there are starting to be some small patches of grass every now and then. I wonder if that means the end of the desert is near here. About an hour later, my suspicions are confirmed and there's more grass than there is sand. It doesn't even look like a desert anymore! I'm really happy about it, because I don't like deserts at all.

Around noon, Lucy looks pretty warn out from walking. I see a pretty big hill to the left of us, so I grab Lucy as quick as I can, holding her in my arms, and I run up the hill. She looks freaked out at first, but then a little angry. I laugh at her amusing expressions, and continue to carry her up the hill.

I put her down at the top of the hill, and by then she's calm again. We lay on the grassy expanse and look up. The sky is completely clear today, having no clouds anywhere in sight.

"Hey Natsu, what do you think dad's doing right now?" Lucy asks me.

"Probably just working. Like you said, he rules a big kingdom." I answer.

"I guess. Does he think that we're dead?" She asks.

I keep silent. I don't want to share my answer because I know it's not the one she wants.

We lie on the hill, just staring up into space, and I find myself wondering how I got into all of this mess while searching for Igneel. I'm thousands of miles from my home, with my only friend beside me, and I don't know where I'm going. It's weird, but fun. I want to return as soon as possible for Lucy's sake.

I end up falling asleep on that hill. So does Lucy. When we wake up a few hours later, it's sunset, and we rush to get back on the road. I notice Lucy is standing closer to me, which makes me happier. I'll protect her, always and forever.

With nothing to light the path, I hold up my left hand and ignite it. The fire helps a lot, and we can see more clearly as to where we're going.

"Natsu, how much further?" She asks.

"Not much, Lucy. Not much. Just stay close." I tell her. I don't really know how far away we are, but we should keep going if we want to get there sooner than later.

As we're walking, I find myself more and more vigilant. I don't expect there to be any dangers since we're in the middle of nowhere, but I don't want to make the mistake of letting Lucy be hurt. So I watch closely, into the dark, ominous, and unknown nighttime darkness.

Everything seems to be okay for a few hours. We finally arrive in Hargeon and I can tell the nap isn't good enough to keep Lucy awake. She's struggling to stand, and she looks like she's going to fall asleep in any moment. I now have an arm around her waist and I'm helping her stand. I whisper encouraging words to her, telling her we're almost there.

As we're walking down the streets, Lucy stumbles. I know that she's too tired to keep going, so I do the only thing I can. I put her on my back, and I carry her. I look around for a place to spend the night, but I can't seem to find one.

I'm starting to feel tired myself, and I don't know exactly where to sleep. I'm not ever going to let Lucy spend the night in an alley, nor will I. I don't ever want to have to spend the night there again. The one night I spent in an alley before I met Lucy was probably the worst night I've ever had. I don't want Lucy to have one of those nights. Not now, not ever.

I wander around aimlessly, looking for anything that indicates some sort of inn. I can't find anything of the sorts though, and I start too feel discouraged. I really need to find somewhere to go, or else I'm going to be wandering the streets of Hargeon all night long with a sleeping Lucy on my back. This is not how I imagined my night to be.

I turn right onto a road that looks familiar. I look up at the street sign and I realize that I've passed this exact spot three times. I'm going in circles, and I'm not finding anything. Just great.

As I'm about to give up hope, I hear a voice calling for me.

"Hey, kid!" It says. It sounds like a male voice. "Over here. Yes you, with the pink hair. Come here." He says. I walk towards him, with Lucy on my back.

"What do you want?" I ask the man from a distance. He steps out of the shadows.

"You look like you don't have a place to stay tonight. Come with me, I can show you one." He tells me. Normally, I'd be afraid, but he's a teenager, and I can probably protect Lucy from him. So I follow him.

He leads me down the street. I start to wonder what his name is. "What's your name?" I ask.

"Laxus." He says. "My name is Laxus Dreyar." For some reason, the name sounds familiar but I can't put a finger on it. I'm not entirely sure why I recognize the name, but I do.

"I'm Natsu Dragneel. The girl on my back is Lucy Heartfilia." I introduce myself and the sleeping Lucy.

"You're not from around here, are you?" He asks me.

"Nope. I'm on my way to Crocus. We were in Magnolia for the Fantasia Parade, but things didn't go to plan." I say.

"You mean you were caught in that explosion?" He questions.

"You could say that." I answer.

"So why are you in Hargeon?" He asks. "Didn't you know there's a bad river that overflows in the summer months? You're stuck here for six months."

"What?! Six months!" I say, shocked.

"Yeah. Spring rains flood the river up and there's no way across them until the water levels recede." Laxus explains.

"Oh crap. That's bad, Lucy wanted to be home quickly, but six months. I don't know if we'll be able to find a place to stay for six months." I say dejectedly.

"You can stay with me. I'm here until the river is crossable myself. I've been traveling around for the past few months. Stuck in the same boat as you." He tells me.

"Really? Awesome! But why so generous?" I ask him.

"I may only be sixteen, but I've been through a lot. I used to not care about family and was only after power, and I learned the hard way that family is the greatest power. My gramps always said that helping those in need is one of the most important things you can do. He does that a lot himself. The old man will probably do it until he dies." Laxus tells me.

"The only family I've ever had has died or left me alone. Except for Lucy's family. They took me and cared for me like a son. I guess you could say Lucy did something similar to your grandpa." I say.

A few minutes of silence pass, and Laxus arrives at an apartment complex. We go inside and eventually end up inside his room. There's actually two bedrooms and a kitchen area.

"Why'd you get a two bedroom apartment?" I ask.

"They were out of singles. It works out well, as long as you don't mind sleeping with your blonde friend." He answers.

"Not all. And thanks Laxus." I say.

"It's cool Natsu. You'll need some training on the ways of independence. I can tell you're not entirely used to it. I can help you with that." He offers.

"That'd be awesome, Laxus." I tell him. I walk into my bedroom and put Lucy down. I pull back the covers, lay her across the bed, and then pull them over her. I place my backpack in the corner of the room and walk over towards the bed. I look over the sleeping Lucy, and I realize that it's because of her that I have everything I want, even that adventure I always wanted to go on.

I whisper her goodnight, and snuggle up next to her in bed. I'm out like a light in less than five minutes.


	8. Chapter 8: Settling In

**Don't worry, this story isn't even halfway yet, but I've started to come up with future story ideas. I've got two in mind, both with pros and cons. Not really storyline relevant, but more of narrative and tone. It doesn't concern you, but it's just a heads up there will be a fourth and probably fifth story. So there you go! But don't worry, like I said, this story isn't halfway done.  
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**Thanks to Disney lovers 101, SnowAngelSlayerTasha, Candy5554, Esme Alexis, and Ice and Thunder for reviewing.**

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><p>For some reason, Lucy sleeps a whole lot longer than me. She was out an hour before me last night, and she's still asleep! What the heck? She's weird.<p>

I walk into the main room that connects the two rooms and I see that Laxus is up. He's sitting on the couch and looking out the window. I don't want to take his food without permission, so instead of eating breakfast, I sit down right next to him. He glances over at me, before looking back out the window.

"What's your story, kid?" He asks me.

"It's a long story, so be ready to listen." I begin. "I was born into a family I don't know about. Whoever my parents were, they died before I was able to remember them. I wandered around the land, doing my best to survive in any way I could think of. One day, while I was searching a forest for some food, I found a clearing, and there was this big red dragon. His name is Igneel, and he became my father-

"You've met a dragon?" Laxus interrupts, giving me a look of shock.

"Yup! And he taught me everything I know about food, reading and writing, and magic. I use Fire Dragon Slayer Magic, if you were wondering. It's super awesome! But anyways, I lived with Igneel for several years, training and learning at the same time. He was great. But one day, I woke up and he was gone! I tried looking for him, all over the place, but I couldn't find him. I wound up in Crocus, where I was almost caught stealing a watermelon. Lucy saved me though, and I've been living with her ever since." I explain.

"You said you came to Magnolia for the Fantasia Parade, right? How did you get all the way down here to Hargeon? Magnolia is hundreds of miles away." Laxus asks.

"Well, that's kinda weird too. You remember that explosion from the parade? Well, I was able to shield Lucy enough to keep her from exploding, but one of the guys from Phantom Lord or whatever it was tried to capture us. Lucy used one of her spirit thingies because she's a Celestial Spirit Mage, and we were taken to this weird place with a purple sky. It's called the Spirit World. And I guess 1 day there is 3 months here, so that's why the Fantasia Parade seems like so long ago to you. When we left the Spirit World, we found ourselves in a desert. We took shelter in a temple one night, and found a small town a few days later. We walked from that town to here, and now we're in Hargeon." I say.

"Quite an interesting story you've got there. Certainly comes with a lot more excitement than most. Especially for one at your age." He notes, before standing up from the couch. He walks closer towards the window, and is now standing inches away from it.

"There are a few things you'll need to learn to survive in Hargeon though." He says seriously. "First, don't go out at night. Since that river floods, many criminals come here right before it becomes uncrossable, and so Hargeon is full of them this time of year. It's relatively safe at day, but at night, you don't know what's happening.

"Secondly, don't use your magic in public. There are scientific experts around here and they know how to create weapons specific to your magic. So watch out for them. Some of the country's most wanted criminals develop specific anti-magic defenses while in Hargeon. If someone finds out what magic you use, they'll be making some anti-magic shield faster than you think. Luckily for you, Dragon Slayer Magic is ancient, and therefore hard to come by. You're the only Fire Dragon Slayer I know of.

"Third, because we want to keep our magic under cover, you're going to need to learn how to do better hand-to-hand combat. I assume you protect your blonde friend, so it's more important you learn than her. In fact, if you're willing to be around her 24/7, I'll let her skip out on the combat training.

"Fourth, don't reveal this location. My apartment is in a secret area, and I prefer to keep it that way. I don't want to be subject to anti-magic while I'm here, and if they know where we are, they can be pretty efficient at preventing us from using magic. So keep that in mind.

"Fifth, don't accept things people give out for free on the street. They're not free. They give them to you, and once you take them and it's nonreturnable, they're going to charge you for it. And they can give ridiculous prices." Laxus says. Wow, that's quite a bit of rules!

"Okay. Well I doubt Lucy will need to train, because it is my job to protect her after all. And where will we train? In here?" I ask, thinking we'll train in the apartment.

"No. I have a room for that. We'll start tomorrow because I'm sure your friend wants to get accustomed to her new surroundings. You should take today easy. From the sounds of it, you've had a pretty rough past few days, and it's probably best that you take the day off. You can spend the day here, or explore. Be home before 5:00P.M., however." Laxus says.

"Alright. Sounds good. And if you need money," I begin, standing up from the couch and walking over towards my bag. "I've got a whole bunch right here." I unzip the bag and show him my money.

"Jeez kid, where'd you get all that cash?" He asks, extremely surprised.

"That temple we stayed in had a tomb full of treasure, and we sold it to a museum in the previous town." I explain. "We have a lot more than we'll ever need, so don't worry if you need to take some."

"Nice work. Though I should be well off with enough money right now. I don't pay any expenses on this apartment, as I've owned it for years. The training room I purchased on one of my previous visits to the town." He says.

"Really? Do you come here every time the river floods?" I ask.

"No. I used to come in the fall and winter and leave just before it was flooded. It's warm year round, and so I like to escape the cold winters of Magnolia by spending the summer here. The town is a whole lot safer when there's access to the outside world." Laxus tells me.

"How come the river floods every year? Do you get a lot of rain?" I wonder.

"Monsoons. We get a lot rain here with the summer monsoons. The river gets to a high enough level in February, which it is now, and recedes in August. So you just missed the crossing time." He answers.

"Oh that stinks. Lucy isn't going to be too happy about that. She really wants to get home." I say sadly.

"Don't be too sad, Natsu. You'll get home soon enough. For now, just enjoy the time while you have it. One day you might look back on the fun times you have here." Laxus says.

"It's fun here?" I ask.

"Well yeah, sure, it's not all bad." He answers.

"That's good." I say.

"It is, once you get the hang of it. It's not so peaceful right now though. A lot more fun in the fall." Laxus remarks.

"Is this your first time being stuck on this side of the river?" I ask.

"Yes, but I have experience here so there's no need to worry. I'll let you explain things to your friend, and for now I'm going to be in my room. Knock if you need me." He informs me. I nod, and I walk back to my room.

Wow, have I got a lot to tell Lucy! I'm sure she'll be upset about being stuck here for six months, but I hope she doesn't mind too much though. She was crying two days ago though, so I'm not really sure how she'll take the news.

I peek inside through the slightly opened door to see if Lucy's awake. When I see her sleeping figure still on the bed I push the door open all the way. I sit down on the foot of the bed, and wait for her to get up. It couldn't be much longer, right? She's been asleep for so long now!

Wrong. It took a full hour for her to wake up, and I'm so bored of staring out the window. I look over and see her sit up. She looks drowsy still, but she's not tired at least.

"Morning Natsu." She greets me.

"You mean afternoon?" I correct her.

"Afternoon!?" She asks, surprised.

"Yep. You've been asleep for a really long time now, Lucy. I'm surprised you didn't wake up sooner." I explain.

"Sorry about that Natsu. So where are we? Did you manage to get us a hotel?" She asks.

"Not quite." I say. "I met a friend. His name is Laxus Dreyar, and he took us in. He's going to teach me how to better protect you."

"Really? You're already an amazing protector though. I don't think that anything will get by you." She compliments me.

"But there's one problem." I say, sighing after I finish my sentence.

"What's that Natsu?" Lucy asks concernedly.

"Well, we're kind of stuck here for six months." I can see her smile falter and she begins to take on a sad frown. "Well, you see there's not much I can do about it. Laxus says there's a huge river that wraps around the town, and so there's no way for us to get around it and towards Crocus until the water level goes back down in six months." I explain.

"Well, so when does the six months end?" She questions.

"August." I say sadly.

She looks incredibly sad. I know how much it means to her to get home as soon as possible. I'm sure that news was like bullets to her, so move a little closer to her. She, in response, moves herself right up next to me, and she leans against my shoulder.

"Oh Natsu... Are you sure we'll ever get home?" She asks sadly.

"Of course Lucy. I promise I'll have you home faster than ever. I don't care what I have to do, I'll do it for you if that means you get home faster." I assure her.

"Okay. I'm just... I don't know. I really miss dad. He's probably so worried right now. You know how he gets." She says.

"I know Lucy. But hey, while we're here, why not make the most of it?" I ask, attempting to change to a happier topic.

"What do you mean?" She questions.

"I mean, why don't we enjoy ourselves today. Laxus says he's not going to start training us until tomorrow." I answer.

"Sure, that sounds like fun Natsu. What do you have in mind?" She asks.

"Not much. I didn't explore much last night. But are you hungry? We can go get something to eat." I offer her.

"Yeah, I really am. I haven't eaten since yesterday afternoon." She says.

"Alright, well I'm sure there's a great place to eat somewhere around here." I state.

We leave the apartment, and as we're exiting the building, I explain to Lucy all of the things that Laxus told me. It takes me a while, but I manage to recall everything to her, attempting not to leave anything out. I finish right as we exit the building.

"That makes sense. I guess people would want to hide out away from most of the country's police. We'll have to tell dad later on though." She reasons.

"Yup. Oh and by the way, you don't have to train. I told Laxus that I'm your protector, so I'll be around you all the time and you won't need to get stronger when you have me." I say.

"Thanks a lot Natsu! I'm not really into the whole strength training stuff. I rather read or something, if you know what I mean." She explains.

"Yeah I get it. Just remember not to use your magic unless it's an emergency. Laxus says it's dangerous." I remind her.

"I know, you told me already." She says.

"Just making sure you remembered." I say.

"But wait... Natsu?" She asks curiously.

"Yeah, what is it Lucy?" I respond.

"Well, what magic does Laxus use? I'm assuming he knows both of ours, but I don't know his." She asks. I try to think back to when Laxus told me what magic he uses. I can't seem to remember. Did he not tell us?

"I don't know either, Lucy. I haven't asked him. I'll do so tomorrow when we train." I answer.

"Okay, well just wondering." She says.

We continue to walk around town for a little while, and I notice that a lot of the buildings are actually in good condition. Most of them look rather fancy, and I even see a few fancy restaurants. I find it hard to believe that a town like this is actually as dangerous as Laxus tells it out to be. I guess nighttime is a completely different story though. Whatever happens though, Lucy's safety and well being is my top priority!

Lucy decides that she isn't hungry for lunch food, so I take her to get some candy. I made sure to bring a decent amount of money to spend on anything that Lucy might have wanted. Since I'm not in the mood for sweets, I pass on it, and we walk down to the river. I want to see just how big this river that Laxus is talking about is.

When we get to the river, I almost burst out laughing at the sight. I don't know why it's so funny, but looking at all of the ships that were tied down to the dock, now mostly submerged, is a sight to behold. I guess the main reason why people can't cross is because the boats are all sunk. I could maybe swim, but I'm not sure. The river is super wide! I can't even see the other side of it! There's no way I'd make Lucy swim, and paddling across wouldn't make much sense either, as the current is very strong in the wrong direction. It looks like the river flows southwest, and we're heading in just the opposite direction.

"You weren't kidding when you said it can't be crossed for six months." Lucy observes.

"Yeah. The harbor kind of looks like a wreck. I wonder why it's in such poor condition." I wonder aloud.

"Who knows. But I guess this is why there's no travel in and out for six months. I don't think I want to cross _that_." She says.

"Yeah, me neither." I agree. "Might as well wait."

After a bit more walking around town, Lucy and I decide to head back to Laxus's apartment. We walk upstairs and head towards our room. I see a package on the kitchen counter. On it is the message: "For Natsu & Lucy".

Inside is a video-playing lacrima with a few movies. I haven't ever seen any of these, but Lucy might have. I guess Laxus is looking for us to have a way to pass some time, so he gave us these. I carried the box into our room and set it up on the night table. Since it's a projection, I have to keep it a certain distance from the wall.

"So what kind of movie do you want to watch?" I ask her.

"I don't really care." She asks. I look through the box. I find an action movie.

"Action?" I ask.

"Nah, too many explosions for me. Maybe another night." She declines.

"How about horror?" I offer.

"Nope. I don't want nightmares for weeks." She says.

"Sci-Fi?" I suggest.

"Nope. I want something... calmer, I guess. Not a lot of fighting or action. A sci-fi movie would probably have a lot of that." She reasons.

"Hmm... Comedy?" I ask.

"Maybe. Too calm though. I want something with seriousness to it, but not so much fighting." She tells me. That gives me a great idea!

"How about mystery?" I suggest cheerfully. "It's serious, but not much fighting!"

"Yeah!" She answers, smiling. "That sounds great!"

I put the movie in the lacrima, and hop the bed next to Lucy. We lie back on our pillows, next to each other, as we watch the movie start.

Everything goes over my head, but Lucy seems to have an alright time comprehending everything. She even predicts the person who ends up being guilty. I ask her how she knew it, and she told me it was easy. I don't understand, but I guess it's because she's a lot smarter than me. Lucy will always be smarter than me.

As soon as it ends, we fall asleep in each others' arms. I have sweet dreams that night, dreams of adventure with Lucy.


	9. Chapter 9: Training and Pasts

**Back for another chapter! Yay meeee! I'm actually keeping schedule. Finally. Oh and Natsu will realize his feelings eventually. He's still 10.  
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**Thanks Disney lovers 101, bluerainst0rm, EchizenRyoma, Ice and Thunder, Candy5554, Esme Alexis, and orionXD for reviewing!**

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><p>When I wake up, I remember that Laxus wants to show me where we're going to train. I hope he doesn't underestimate me because I do have quite a bit of guard work from working in the castle. Although Laxus says he's teaching me physical strength, but at the castle they were helping me increase my magic potential.<p>

I get up out of my bed, ever so quietly as to not wake up Lucy. She seems to like to sleep in. I walk in the middle room to see if Laxus is there, but unfortunately for me, he's not there. I sit down on the high counter and wait for him to come out. 20 minutes later, he slowly opens the door and looks at me.

"Early riser, are you?" He asks.

"Didn't want to keep you waiting." I answer.

"Not a problem. We'll train on weekdays from 9:00A.M. until noon. Nothing on weekends." He informs me.

"Okay. Thanks for the movies last night." I thank him, having not done so before.

"No big deal. Gramps gave me those a while back, never watched them, but I kept 'em. Might as well put them to use." He says.

"Oh. Well thanks." I tell him anyway. I'm glad to have something to watch, and maybe Lucy can watch romance movies while I'm out. I don't really want to watch that. There is hardly ever any fire in those movies.

"Come with me, Natsu." Laxus says, gesturing as well as saying for me to follow him. I stand up and walk towards him and we enter the hallway. He takes me towards the back staircase and we go all the way down to the bottom. On the very bottom floor, which is two floors below ground level, he unlocks a big black door. Inside is a pretty decent sized training room. It somewhat reminds me of my days in the castle, the days that seem so far away right now.

"This is where you'll train most of the time. You have everything you'll need in here. I'll make sure you're doing everything right, as well as teach you the techniques. Don't use your magic at all, this is meant to build physical strength, not magical potential. I'm sure as a Dragon Slayer that you have enough of that to begin with." Laxus explains.

Laxus' mention of magic reminds me of the question I've been dying to ask. "Laxus, what magic do you use?"

"Consider it a reward if you get far enough in training. You'll find out eventually." He answers.

"Alright." I say.

Laxus explains to me how we're going to train for the next few weeks, and it sounds challenging, which makes me happy. I like when things are challenging because that makes it more fun! Training with Laxus is going to be the best, because I get to have fun and get stronger for Lucy. I'll definitely be able to protect her after this. There's not a chance in hell I'll let harm come to her.

He explains what exercises I'll do on a daily basis. He gives me recommendations as to where to start at, how hard to push myself, and the dangers of going to difficult. After hearing this speech, I definitely trust that Laxus will be an amazing trainer. I'm super excited to get started.

"This won't be done so much to get stronger, but rather to learn how to fight. You're still 10, so there's no need to get you lifting serious weights. I'm more here to teach you technique and form. I need to show you all the different moves that both you and your opponent will make. Reading their moves is more important than strength in combat. If you can predict their actions, you'll never lose." Laxus says.

"You have to be able to dodge. Being a Dragon Slayer, I know you're quick. And you're going to need to use that, because even though you can't use your magic, the people you may encounter might use theirs. You'll need to be able to overpower them without using any of your magic whatsoever. I suggest you watch the hands. Hand motions often signal what kind of attack they're going to use. They have to make certain motions, and it can take a while before the spell they're trying to cast is actually completed. The fastest way to predict their move is to watch the hand for any patterns or spells you might recognize." Laxus explains.

"Don't fall for illusions. Illusion magic is very common in Hargeon. People often use it to disguise quick muggings. You'll get an illusion and when you come back to your senses, you'll be missing something of value you had. I don't expect anything of yours to hold a lot of value, except maybe that scarf. It's more for your friend's sake. You might want to teach her how to avoid illusions after I do." Laxus informs me.

For the next three hours, Laxus teaches me how to avoid illusions as well as predict most of the combat magics found in Hargeon. I'm surprised that he knows so much about it, but he has been here before. By the end of the day, I'm pretty good at dodging.

When I get back, I tell Lucy of my schedule. She's glad it's an earlier time so that she'll be asleep for most of the time I'm training. She seems happiest, however, when I tell her that I have the whole day after that to spend with her. I didn't know she likes to be around me that much! So for the next few days, we spend our afternoons out in the town. I haven't had to put my new training to the test yet, which I'm both kind of happy and kind of sad about. I really want to be able to tell Laxus I did what he told me to do.

One week later, Laxus begins to teach me more specific illusion tricks that he's had to face before. He tells me that these are the hardest ones that I'll ever face and that if I can avoid these, illusions shouldn't be a problem for me anymore. I get really excited thinking that I'm going to be completely immune to anything someone might throw at me out on the street.

After the third week is up, Laxus goes into more types of dodging abilities. He tells me that there are several different stages of dodging, some being more offensive dodges, designed for quick rebounds, while others are meant to be completely defensive. Others are for protecting a target, which would be Lucy, safely moving the target out of danger, again Lucy, or returning the attack itself onto the attacker. While it was confusing at first, I managed to grasp the subject matter rather quickly.

He did the dodging lessons for quite a while. I begin to understand things more clearly, and I wonder what magic he uses. Every time we train, he never mentions or uses his magic. I'm sure he uses it somewhere, because who doesn't love using their magic? I couldn't imagine myself without mine. I use it everyday, even if it's just in short bits here and there. I'm surprised he hasn't shown me yet. Is he hiding something?

We're now a month and 2 weeks in. He just finished all the dodging techniques he needs to teach me. I still am curious about his magic type. I think I'll ask him today. It's been a month and a half since I last asked.

When we arrive downstairs, we walk towards the door. I gather all of the courage inside of me and ask Laxus, "Laxus? What magic do you use?"

Instead of him getting annoyed or upset, I hear a sigh coming from him. He walks over and sits down against the wall. I don't understand why this question would have this kind of effect on him. Why does he look hurt?

"Natsu... I'm only going to tell you this once. My magic is Lightning Dragon Slayer Magic. Before you ask about my dragon, I don't have one. I had a lacrima implanted by my father into me that gives me these powers. It's called 2nd Generation Dragon Slayer Magic." Laxus says.

"Lightning Dragon Slayer Magic!? How come you don't use it anymore?" I ask. "Not even when you're at home, and those scientist guys aren't around?"

"Natsu, I've done some pretty bad things in my time. And all of it happened because I wanted to increase my magical power. I was so...consumed by my magic, I desired so much to be the greatest. I put my magic before my own family – both blood family and those who treated me like family even those I was a jerk." Laxus says.

"Oh. But you're not that person now, are you? So you shouldn't feel guilty using your magic if you're not going to use it for bad. If your magic caused bad, why not use it now to cause good? You can always redeem yourself for your mistakes." I ask.

Laxus stays silent, and I go to do my exercises on my own. About ten minutes later, he stands up and begins to train with me again. An hour or so into the training, he shows his magical power. I smile at him, and I see him smile too. It's the first smile I've seen him make in the entire time I've known him. I'm glad he's decided to use his magic again. Even if it's not real dragon slayer from a dragon type magic.

I don't ask what he's done in his past to make him dislike his own magic. Whatever it was, I think I've gotten enough answers for now.

The next day, Laxus picks up on offensive attacks. He's teaching me all the ways to hit people after I've successfully dodged them. He wants me to know all the different ways of quickly dealing with an attacker. Laxus shows me different scenarios, some where the other guy is armed with a knife, some where he's armed with a gun, and others where he's using his magic. Every option has different moves and different attacks, variants between kicks and punches, and even sequences of punches and kicks at the same time. The armed with magic attacks take the longest to learn, but after about a month I think I've got it down.

Meanwhile, Lucy and I have been enjoying our free time together. Lucy has purchased some books with our excess money and she likes to read them while I'm off training. When we get back, the two of us play together all day, either out at town or inside the apartment. We've gone as far as to the other side of town to go to the beach once, which was so much fun. Sometimes we play in the park. We rent movies every now and then and we watch them together. I even put up with a few of Lucy's romance movies. I haven't gone over the edge with action yet. No matter what we do, we're always together after I'm done training. I don't ever get bored of spending time with Lucy. Not in the slightest.

The next thing Laxus teaches me to do is to get away with using small bits of my magic while attacking. He says that as long as you don't use too much, they won't be able to tell what kind you use. I think it's like how if I used certain magic, I'd look like a normal fire mage instead of a Dragon Slayer. I practice with him, and he explains the extent to which I can use my magic. I'm really happy that I can use some fire in my fighting, because everything seems to be more rhythmic when I fight with my fire. I feel more balanced.

I advance in my use of magic slowly, but successfully. I'm getting better at it each day, but sometimes I go overboard. I love to let explosion wreak havoc all over whatever I'm attacking, but I have to learn to keep everything in control if I'm going to do what Laxus told me to. I don't want people to start developing anti-magics against me. That would be really bad. I wonder if Laxus has ever had that happen to him.

The next time that I learn about Laxus' past, he brings it up to me. I don't ask him, but one day when we head down there, he begins to have some sort of breakdown. I'm not sure why, but I try to understand what's going on. It's been four months since training began, and Laxus says we're near completely done.

"Laxus, you okay man?" I ask.

"It's... just... nothing, never mind. Let's get started." He answers.

"It's not nothing." I question.

"If you must know, today is the one year anniversary since I was expelled from my guild." He says.

"Guild? You were in a guild?" I ask.

"Yes. I was in the famous guild Fairy Tail. Our guild was growing in number, and I was dissatisfied with the new members. I took matters into my own hands and staged a revolution. Luckily, the guild was able to battle back, and they just barely defeated me. I made my friends fight each other until only the last few were left. After they defeated me, I went to see Gramps, the master of the guild, and he expelled me. I couldn't blame him, it was his only option. I hurt the guild, so I must be punished.

"That's when I stopped using my magic. I realized after I was gone what it really meant to be family. I realized that blood doesn't make family what it is, neither does magic type. It's the bonds you share. The bonds I carelessly threw away. I hated my mistake, and so went off to live in solitude. My ex-guild mates didn't want me to even be alive, fearing that I would try to overthrow the guild once more.

"Five months ago, they found me hiding out in the woods, living in a small cabin. Five of them came to my door to attack. I had very little time to react, so I grabbed the little money I had and ran to the one other home I had, the one here in Hargeon. I knew the river was going to flood, so I decided to flee to Hargeon to escape their searches. I'm sure they're still looking for me. I don't know what Gramps has to say about that, but the guys would ignore him anyway. They really want revenge on me." Laxus explained to me. I finally understood, after all this time, why Laxus was so sad on the inside. He hurt his own family, the people who treasured him more than anyone else. I know what it feels like to be hurt by family, but sometimes you just have to forgive.

After that day, I had a new found respect for Laxus. I had seen him as a noble and kind man before, but now I know he was truly sorry for his actions. I'm glad that he learned his mistake and that he's trying to repent for it. I'm sure taking us in was one of his ways of coming to peace with what he has done. He wants to show us family, because he knew that we were alone that night when he took us in. Laxus wants to teach us what it means to have strong bonds with others, and how those strong bonds are the most powerful forces in the world. He taught me the true importance of family.

Although I still have two months left to train with him, I'm sad that I'm more than halfway through my time living with him. I hope to meet him once again in the future. If I ever meet up with those Fairy Tail guys, I'll definitely tell them about my stories with Laxus, and maybe they'll let him back in. I really hope that they do, because Laxus deserves to be in that guild.

Maybe one day in the future I'll visit Magnolia again, and we might be able to tell those guys we met about Laxus and how he's changed. I'm sure if Lucy and I told them about his change, they'd definitely believe it. Unfortunately, we're not headed towards Magnolia because that's too far west of here. Lucy doesn't want any more interruptions to the trip home, and I understand why. I really want to get home too. But if we see Fairy Tail members that we saw last time, I'll definitely tell them then.

That night, when I laid in bed next to Lucy, holding her close, I thought about everything that we've done, and just how lucky we were to meet Laxus. If we hadn't, I don't know what we would have done. It certainly wouldn't have been the happy times I've had here. I'm going to enjoy these last two months we have with Laxus before it's time to leave and continue on our journey.


	10. Chapter 10: Happy Birthday

**I'm sorry.  
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**That's all I can really say. A mixed up week of lots of assignments due plus my poor preparations for the plot line of this story have resulted in missed days for chapters. I didn't mean it to be this way, but I did a bad job planning out this story. It doesn't help having writer's block either, but then again, that could have been avoided with a more detailed plot line. At least I learned for the next one.**

**It doesn't forgive not updating, however. My schedule idea was a total flop. I'm not often motivated to write on Fridays because I'm always on Skype with some friends from an hour or two after I get home until I go to bed. Sundays are usually busy with homework and other things. Tuesdays are a good day for weekday writing. Although I thought it'd work, it obviously didn't. **

**I'm not entirely sure what my schedule will be going forward, so please be flexible for the next week until I get everything under control. Don't worry, you'll have 3 chapters a week at the least.**

**I hate to keep you waiting, I know I've been really bad with the frequency of updates on this story. I didn't mean to miss a decent amount of upload dates, and hopefully I can get a schedule that works by the end of this week. I'll have more news later in the week on what to expect going forward. Until then, please stick around.**

**I think my biggest problem overall was the poor preparations for this story. I'm not cancelling it, nor am I going to put less effort into it. No, I'm definitely going to put MORE effort in because I need to. You most likely won't see this happening ever again if I take the proper steps to avoid this. But this does mean the gap after finishing one story and starting another will increase by 3 to 5 days for me to finalize the plot.**

**I still have a whole bunch of PMs to answer that have been sitting in my inbox for a month now. I feel incredibly guilty not answering them, especially because I stopped right in the middle of the conversation. I'll try to get responses up to those too.**

**If you're reading this, thank you for sticking around. It really means that much that you'd stick around even though I've been inconsistent on multiple occasions with this story. I'm glad you're enjoying it, and I hope you enjoy the rest of it. I still have quite a bit to go, but thankfully I have so many days off next week, so I can probably mass-produce chapters for you.**

**Thanks bluerainst0rm, orionXD, Esme Alexis, Ice and Thunder, and Candy5554 for reviewing.  
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><p>Another month has passed, and today is a special day. It's Lucy's 11th birthday! I have to get her something good today, but I can't think of anything. I don't ever have time to look for her present because when I'm not around Laxus, I'm always with Lucy, all the time. We don't ever go anywhere without each other. Especially since I finished Laxus' training a few weeks ago. I don't have any time where I'm away from Lucy.<p>

Of course, I still see Laxus because I live with him. I'm just done learning all of the training techniques to defend Lucy, which is really awesome. I can't believe that I was able to learn every single one of them! Laxus says it's because I'm a Dragon Slayer and that Dragon Slayers naturally have faster refilling energy than most.

Since I didn't have time to run out and buy Lucy a gift, I'll let her choose something for her birthday instead. I'm upset I couldn't surprise her with something awesome, but at least she'll get it in the end. Something is better than nothing, right?

I want to get up early so that I can wake her to go shopping. I'll give her as much of the day as I can to get what she wants. It's the least I can do for her since I don't have anything for her.

When I get out of bed, I make sure not to disturb Lucy. I quickly change and tell Laxus my plans for the day before going back to our room. As I enter the doorway to our room, I remember the money that I'll need to buy her gift. I quickly grab a whole bunch out of our bag. Putting it in a pocket, I return to our room. I gently nudge her.

I whisper softly, "Hey Lucy, Lucy... Wake up sleepy."

"Mhmmmm...Not now." She responds.

"Well you have to get up now, Lucy..." I say a little louder.

"Why? It's not like we have anything to do today. It's just another day." She asks sleepily.

"Actually we do! And it's not just another day! It's very important Lucy!" I tell her.

"Okay fine. I'm getting up." She says as she slowly rises from her bed. I smile, showing her that I'm really excited.

When we're both out of the apartment, it's around 10:00A.M., which gives me more than enough time to find Lucy a present. I still don't know what to get her. She likes constellations and basically everything space. She likes exploration, but also home. Her favorite color is blue, although based on her things at the castle, pink looks like a close second. Her favorite season is summer, although I don't exactly know why. Maybe she likes the warm temperatures more. I'm not sure what I should get Lucy, all I know is that I have the whole day to do so.

As we're walking down the street, Lucy begins to question where we're going. I forgot to tell her what we're going to do today.

"Umm... Natsu? Where are we going?" Lucy asks.

"Well, shopping." I admit.

"Shopping? You hate shopping! What's the occasion, huh Natsu?" She asks.

"Nothing special." I answer. I'm not sure if she knows that today is July 1st. She hasn't really been keeping up with a calender. Hopefully she doesn't realize it because then I could surprise her.

"Oh okay. So what do you plan on getting?" She questions.

"Not sure. I'll see as I go along." I reply.

"Okay." She says.

I grab Lucy's hand in mine, so that I don't lose her while I look at the windows. I see lots of souvenirs, and I get an idea as to what I want to get Lucy. I figure that Lucy would want something to remind her of her travels. I'm sure one day she'll look back on these days happily, and when that happens, I want her to have something to remember it by. Something that she'll love not only for reminding her of Hargeon, but something that she'd use anyways.

I pass by a clothing store, and consider buying her some, but I remember that she'd either outgrow it, or have to wait until she's older to wear it. I want to get her something that would last her forever! I want it to be something she can see when she wakes up, something she can use throughout her life, and something that she could see in her last moments.

I try to think of something that would last for a long time. I doubt there are many magic shops in this town due to increase in crime, so I can't get her a celestial key. I think that it's probably better if I go for something non-magical. But what's magical that lasts a long time?

We pass a few more stores, and I glance over to Lucy and back to the stores. I wonder what she'd want. She'd definitely want something that I put a lot of time into. But then it wouldn't really be buying a gift, would it? Aghhhh! Gifts are so confusing!

But the only thing that I can think of that's long lasting is jewelry, so maybe I could get her some of that. Although, she probably has tons back in the castle. But I can't be too picky. I need to get her something today.

A look a few stores on my left, and notice that there's a jewelry store pretty close by. When I'm right next to it, I give Lucy's arm a slight tug as to tell her that I want to go inside of the store.

"Jewelry? What's this possibly for?" She asks.

"I don't know. There aren't a lot of magic shops in Hargeon so maybe the jewelry stores have some ring magic or something." I answer.

"Oh okay." She says.

I look around, at all the different jewels. Lucy likes when people put a lot of thought into things. Maybe if I got her gems with her favorite color. Or what about her hair color? Or mine! I'll get her gems with my hair color, so that she remembers me whenever she looks at them.

I walk up to the counter, and the man asks me what I'd like. I tell him that I want some pink gems that are of high quality. He leaves for a minute or two.

"So what do pink gemstones have to do with magic, Natsu?" Lucy asks. "You sure you're okay?"

"Of course Lucy! Why wouldn't I be?" I answer.

"Okay." She says giggling.

"Why are you giggling?" I ask.

"No... it's nothing." She responds, still giggling.

The man comes back and shows me the different types. I see a few cool ones that would make a nice ring, but the ones that I think Lucy would like the most would definitely be the rectangular prisms with rounded edges. They'd make a cool necklace, maybe with some gold chain to keep them together. I just realized that gold would be really awesome for Lucy's hair color!

I ask for the pink gemstones with thin gold chaining to connect the individual gems. I ask for a small amount of gold as well. I could probably make something cool that would make her happy for being creative with my present. I'm sure she'd love it.

The cost was ridiculous though. It took a quarter of the total money we have to buy that! Maybe I did go overboard. Well this one could be good for the next few years then.

"Where to next?" She asks.

"Home?" I respond.

"So you left home to buy some gemstones? No other reason?" She questions.

"Pretty much." I lie, hoping not to reveal that I'm buying her the birthday present that she deserves.

"You're seriously weird today Natsu. Are you sure that you're my Natsu?" She asks.

"Whose else would I be?" I answer.

"Do you even know what that means?" She asks.

"I'm fully aware." I respond.

"Okay then." She says, smiling.

I think she's okay with us going back to the apartment, because she doesn't show any complaints when I start walking her there. Shortly afterward when we get there, I go into the main room, and get to working on the gold I bought. Lucy watches me for a bit, but she gets bored and gets up to read one of her books. I don't know why a book would be more interesting than what I'm doing, but I'm not going to stop her. A little more for the surprise.

I forgot to think of something to make, so I decide to just roll with it. I have Fire Dragon Slayer Magic so I can always start over if I screw up. I'm not exactly sure what I'm making until I'm pretty close towards completion. When I move my hands away and stare at it, I can clearly see the dragon that I've made. A mighty dragon that looks a lot like Igneel, or what I remember Igneel to look like.

I'm content with my dragon, which actually looks pretty dang realistic. I ask Laxus what he thinks of it, and Laxus says it looks great too! I carefully go back to the main room and attach it to the rest of the necklace using my magic. Now I have a pretty cool dragon necklace for Lucy's birthday! Even if it was expensive, it's definitely worth it for Lucy. Anything is worth it for Lucy.

I don't know if I should give it to her now, or wait until later. I decide to wait until later, so I slip it into my pocket, and ask Lucy if she wants to go eat lunch.

"You eat lunch at 6:00?" She asks.

"What the hell? No way it's that late!" I say, shocked.

"It's 6:05P.M. right now, Natsu. What have you been doing all this time?" She questions.

"Oh nothing... Anyways, want to get dinner?" I ask, hoping to change the subject.

"Sure, but I thought you were coming here to ask me if I wanted to go get lunch with you." She says.

"Shut up." I grumble. Lucy giggles.

"Jeez you're such a big softy, it's not like I mean it seriously." Lucy says.

"Whatever." I respond. "Be ready soon."

"Yeah, yeah, whatever you want, Natsu." Lucy tells me.

Lucy gets up and grabs her shoes, and we walk down towards the streets, so that we can find a place to eat dinner. I don't really care where we eat as long as we eat, but it's Lucy's birthday so I have to make this day extremely special for her.

We end up eating Italian food, which Lucy tends to like. I'm basically indifferent when it comes to food. But rather than eating dinner like I probably should have, I kept thinking about when I should give Lucy her gift. I don't know how to give it to her. Should I be blunt and tell her Happy Birthday? I think I should apologize for making her gift today, and then give it to her. She'd probably like that. I'll wait until I get back into the room. Yeah, that sounds like a good idea.

We walk back, holding hands like we usually do, and I look up at the stars. I wonder if Igneel is looking up at them too, wondering where I am. Maybe Jude is doing the same for Lucy right now. We're both looking for our fathers, aren't we?

I try to clear that thought from my mind, because today is supposed to be a happy day, not a sad one! As we reenter the apartment, I put my hands in my pocket to make sure the necklace is still there. I slowly pull it out and hold it in my hand for Lucy to see. She smiles brightly at it.

"Oh... So that's what you were planning today..." She thinks aloud.

"Yup. Well today is very special day, you know." I remind her.

"Of course I know that! Who doesn't know their own birthday? I was just wondering if _you_ knew my birthday, that's all." She says defensively.

"Why wouldn't I?" I ask with a smile.

"I don't know, is my birthday that important?" She asks.

"To me it is, Lucy. That's why I made you this necklace today." I answer.

"Thanks Natsu." She says, hugging me. A few seconds later she asks, "But didn't this cost you a lot of money?"

"Maybe." I reply.

"WHAT?!" She shouts. "Please tell me you didn't spend all of our money on this. I mean I love the necklace and it looks amazing but we still need that money to travel home."

"Don't worry, I didn't. And besides, you're worth more than that to me." I respond.

"I never knew my dragon could be so cheesy." Lucy jokes.

I decide not to say anything more, and put the necklace on her. It fits nicely, and I'm glad that she likes it. I watch her as she goes over to the mirror and looks at herself wearing it. She seems to like it, because I can tell that none of the smiles she's making are forced at all. She looks so ecstatic! Her happiness is contagious, and begin to feel just like her, except that I'm really happy because she likes the gift so much.

A few minutes later, I walk into our shared room and lie down, wondering what I'm going to do for the next month. I officially have 1 month until it's time to go. Maybe I could spend more time with Laxus just before we both head off.

"So why did you choose a dragon?" Lucy asks out of the blue.

"Because your dragon will always protect you, from the day he met you." I answer.

"But the dragon is represented in the pink-

"And the princess in the gold. It's the princess and the dragon, right?" I ask her with a smile.

"That's the only way it could be." She answers.

Right before we go to bed, I want to ask Lucy if she liked her birthday. I didn't really do much, other than take her to a jewelry store, make her a necklace, and take her out for some dinner.

"Hey Lucy?" I ask.

"Yeah, what is it Natsu?" She answers.

"Did you like your birthday?" I ask.

"Well, you did the nicest thing someone has ever done for me Natsu. I got to spend the whole day with you. I definitely enjoyed my birthday." She replies. I smile at her, and she smiles at me. I tilt my head back to facing up when something crazy happens.

Lucy kisses me on the cheek!


	11. Chapter 11: Departure from Hargeon!

**Okay. I'm telling you all right now, I'm going back to every other day updates. If I don't tell you beforehand, it won't ever happen. I don't know why, but it just won't. It's probably some psychological thing that someone might know the answer to. But I don't know it, so you'll have to explain it to me sometime in the near future. Anyways, here's another chapter.  
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**I'm sorry. I know the last chapter came out two weeks ago, but I got some serious writer's block. I didn't want to post something really bad and rushed, so I tried to wait until it passed over. Unfortunately, that happened to take two weeks. On the bright side though, I'm back with every other day updates starting today. A little thing to celebrate, isn't it?**

**Oh and if you have a question, I'll answer it next chapter in the Author's Note. I don't think I ever mentioned it, but I'll definitely answer a question as long as it's reasonable.**

**Thanks to Disney lovers 101, Ice and Thunder, Esme Alexis, bluerainst0rm, and orionXD for reviewing.**

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><p>Sadly, the sixth month has approached, and our time with Laxus is winding down to an end. Everyday we check the river to see any signs of clear travel, but we haven't seen a single ship go back and forth in over ten days since the start of the sixth month. Lucy and I have all of our stuff packed and ready leave so that we're ready to leave as soon as we see cross river travel. She's afraid to take stuff out of our bag because she doesn't want it to slow us down. Sometimes I forget how much she wants to get home.<p>

After the first week, Lucy began to accompany us on our journey to the river. We'd check daily at noon, and eat lunch afterward. We even got Laxus to eat lunch with us once! He's still quiet, but he's starting to show more of himself to us. I don't mind the silent behavior, but he's actually really awesome when he's not so quiet.

It isn't until the 17th day that we see the first boat travel. It's a very small boat, but it somehow manages to cross the giant river. As soon as we see it, Laxus tells us that we're going to leave tomorrow. I look excitedly across the river and think about everything waiting for us on the other side.

That night, Laxus makes us a large dinner, and we eat it together. He has all these different kinds of foods and they all were delicious. I don't know how he got so much food, but he tells me that he'd been saving up for this last night. I dig in and eat everything that I can.

After I've gone to bed, I do my best to fall asleep. Unfortunately, I can't. No matter how many times I roll over or flip the pillow, I don't even feel tired in the slightest. I try everything that I can think of in order to fall asleep, but nothing is working. As I stare up at the ceiling, my mind begins to wander. I began to think about my time in Hargeon. I'm definitely going to miss the time I spent here. I'll definitely miss Laxus.

I've had a lot of fatherly figures in my life, so I wouldn't necessarily consider Laxus to be a father. He's more like an older brother to me. He watched over me and cared about me for the six months we spent in Hargeon. I don't think Lucy and I would be alive if it weren't for him. I certainly wouldn't be as good at protecting Lucy if he didn't show me other methods of combat. They didn't teach me non-magic training back at the castle.

Still, I miss the castle. Even if the training wasn't as it is now, I did enjoy the carefree days spent with Lucy. We had so many fun adventures, even if they weren't as nearly as dangerous as this one.

As I glance out the window, I try to take in as much as I can. I don't ever want to forget Hargeon. It has left such happy memories and it feels just like home. I want to remember what the city looks like before I leave. I want to remember what an awesome place it is.

For what seemed like ages, I sit in front of the window, just staring out at the city. I'm not feeling the least bit tired. I don't know why I'm not tired. I should be asleep right now! Why can't I fall asleep?

"It's beautiful, isn't it?" I hear Lucy ask from behind me. That's when I remember that she was asleep, until I got up to look out the window. I feel her arms cross over my shoulders, and realize that she's leaning on me.

"Did I wake you up?" I ask her.

"Well, the bed _is_ colder without you in it." She answers.

"Sorry." I apologize.

"No big deal. But what's got you up late? Do you not want to leave?" She asks concernedly.

"Of course I want to leave. I want to get home too! It's just that I'm definitely going to miss this place." I respond truthfully.

"I guess. We don't have to leave tomorrow... if you don't want." She offers, barely mumbling the last part.

"No, I want to leave tomorrow Lucy. I've kept you here long enough." I answer.

"I think that was the river that kept us here." She says.

"Eh, same thing?" I ask.

"Not really." She says, giggling. "But seriously, are you having trouble sleeping?"

"A little. I don't know why though." I confess.

"Maybe you're just afraid to go. That makes sense." She reasons.

"I'm not afraid of anything!" I say proudly.

"Then prove it!" She challenges.

"How so?" I ask.

"Fall asleep." She says.

"Pft. Easy." I respond.

"If you say so." She says doubtfully while walking to the bed.

"What do you mean, 'if you say so.'? I'll show you!" I shout.

"Yeah whatever." She yawns, tiredly.

I stand up out of the chair that I was just sitting in. I run straight towards the bed and jump on top of it. I bounce on the bed and land so that my head is face up on Lucy's lap.

"Hey get off! I'm trying to sleep here!" She says.

"Me too." I respond.

"Just get off!" She shouts.

"Shhh... You'll wake Laxus up." I tell her.

"Oh come on Natsu, just get up!" She says, trying to move out of the way.

"I don't wanna." I answer stubbornly.

"Ugh... Fine. Just don't move that much, okay?" She tells me.

"Okay." I answer.

A few minutes of silence pass by, and I feel sleep begin to overtake me. Before I fall asleep though, I whisper, "Hey Lucy?"

"Yeah?" She replies.

"Thank you." I answer.

"You're welcome." She says, and with that, I fall into a peaceful and relaxing sleep.

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><p>The first thing that I hear when I wake up in the morning is someone calling my name.<p>

"Natsu! Natsu! Get up Natsu!" Lucy says.

"Huh! What? Sorry 'bout that Lucy." I respond before sitting up.

"Well come on, let's go Natsu! It's almost time to leave for the _boat_." She tells me, standing up.

"Don't remind me!" I say sickly.

"Well then hurry up! I don't want to miss the _boat_!" She repeats.

"I don't mind missing the boat. Any boat for that matter." I say.

"Well how are we going to get home then?" She asks.

"Swim?" I offer. "I'd definitely swim."

"I'm not swimming across that river! Let's go Natsu!" She commands frustratedly.

"Yeah, yeah, one minute." I say, slowly standing up.

I walk over towards Laxus's room to see if he's awake. I don't want him to be the victim of Lucy's wake up calls. I'm sure that wouldn't end well for either of them. I knock on the closed door, not wanting to intrude on his privacy.

"Yeah, what is it?" I hear Laxus ask from the other side.

"We're all ready to go when you are, Laxus." I tell him.

"Okay, give me a minute or two, I'll be out in a bit." He says.

I walk back to Lucy, who is sitting on the counter. I can tell by her movements that she's anxious to leave. She's probably really scared of missing the boat and not being able to cross for another day. However, I'm not worried at all! I'm sure we'll make the boat!

A few minutes later, Laxus comes out, packed and ready to go.

"You got everything?" He asks.

"Yup. And consider everything left behind a gift from us." I answer.

"Even if I don't want it?" He responds.

"Yup." I say.

"Well anyway, let's go. This boat probably leaves pretty early in the morning so we'll definitely want to make it." He explains.

"Alright then. Let's go." I agree, picking up my backpack that is full of all of Lucy's and my stuff. It's not as heavy as I remember, even though there's more stuff in it. It's probably because I've gotten stronger these last few months.

Thinking I forgot something, I run back to the room to look. I realize that this may be the last time I ever see this room again. It's crazy, I've been here for six months, and I'll probably never be there again. Hopefully it doesn't mean I won't ever see Laxus again. I'm sure we'll meet up again someday. After I've completely forgotten that I was looking for something, I run back and say that I'm ready to go. We go down the stairs and out the front door.

As we walk down the street, I start to miss Hargeon already. It's a sad thought to think that I won't be back here after I cross the river. Once I'm on the other side, I don't think I'll ever show up again. But life goes on, right? There's no time to stop and admire, or else we'll fall behind. And this is the worst time to ever fall behind, especially in the midst of an amazing adventure!

I can tell Lucy is trying to hide her excitement for going home. After all, she never really bonded with Laxus as much as I did. I can tell she's sad to see him go, but not nearly as I am. I know she's hiding her excitement for me. She knows that I'm not entirely excited to leave. I'm very conflicted, but I don't really have a choice because Laxus is leaving anyways. Not that I'd ever abandon Lucy, there's no way I'd ever leave her. Not in a million years!

In silent communication, I grab Lucy's hand in mine and squeeze it tightly. When she looks at me confusedly, I smile at her so that she knows I'm okay with leaving. Her smile back is extremely bright and burns through the remaining sadness I have of leaving Hargeon.

When we reach the dock, I see the boat is "conveniently" docked. I frown, four or more hours of motion sickness for me. I don't know why we couldn't just swim, other than Lucy would never want to swim in a million years. Approaching the boat, I notice it probably wouldn't seat all of us.

"Excuse me, uh sir?" Laxus asks. "We'd like a ride across the river."

The man Laxus was talking to turns around. "Sorry, I can only bring two of you. There's not enough of room for all three." The boatman says.

"Really?" I ask sadly. "There has to be! We can easily fit three people on this boat!"

"Sorry kid, there's no way all three of you can make this boat. There's only room for two. I'm the only boat out here for the next week. I'll be back in four hours to take the one left behind if you'd like." He answers.

"We'll make do." Laxus says solemnly.

"But Laxus!" I protest.

"Listen Natsu, it's okay. We'll meet again someday. You and Lucy need to get home as soon as possible, and just knowing that I could help you guys is enough. I don't have a place to go, nor do I know where I'm going." Laxus says.

"I guess this is goodbye then." I mumble.

"Don't say goodbye, Natsu. You make it sound like we're never going to see each other again." Laxus responds.

"Really? You promise?" I ask.

"Promise." He answers. "It might have to wait until you're the king, but I'll definitely see you again."

"Alright then!" I say, hugging him. "I'll hold you to it! Hey and what do you mean by the king?"

Rather than answer me, he just laughs. I release him from the hug, and look at Lucy, seeing if she knows what I'm talking about, and for some reason her face is bright red. I sit next to her, and feel the motion sickness start to come. It's awful, but I try my best to fight it. I don't want Laxus' last memory of me for a few years to be me hanging off the boat puking.

The boat slowly pushed away from the dock and took off. A minute after I left I see Laxus waving, with the sunrise behind him. I wave back, looking at the majestic harbor of Hargeon. It's an amazing sight. The sight is so good that for a moment I forget about my motion sickness.

Until, of course, I remember that I should have motion sickness. I slump back in the boat and groan. I hear laughter coming from the dock, and I know that's Laxus. Maybe he forgot I had a dragon's hearing. I bet he gets motion sickness too!

"For a second I was worried you weren't the Natsu I knew." She says to me.

"What...you...mean?" I ask her, motion sick.

"You weren't getting motion sickness earlier. I thought it wasn't you for minute there." She explains.

"I...resist...it...slightly." I defend myself.

"That's good. Can you resist puking on me?" She asks.

"Stay...close." I demand.

"Huh? Wouldn't that make it so I'd puke on you faster?" She asks.

"Feel...better...with..._you_." I barely say. Once again I see her face turn a brighter shade of red. What's up with her today? Is she getting sick or something?

"Okay then. As long as you don't puke." She responds. I lie down on her lap, and she smiles softly.

"Mmm...better." I say.

"That's good. Maybe you can fall asleep? I'll be here when you wake up." She offers.

"Sure... I'll do just that." I answer, before closing my eyes. A little while later, I feel her hands in my hair. Maybe she thinks I'm asleep since she hasn't ever done this while I'm awake. It's soothing, so I pretend to be sleeping, and slightly smile.

A few hours later, I regain consciousness. I slowly open my eyes, and see Lucy looking down on me. She's smiling.

"Hey there Natsu, guess what, we're here!" She declares cheerfully.

"We are? That's awesome I say." I respond, trying to get up. As soon as I stand up, I feel sick again. I undergo it until I get to the land so that I don't puke. Once on land, I realize that I forgot the bag.

"Hey Lucy, can you get the bag for me?" I ask.

"Sure." She answers. She picks up the bag, and I can tell that she thinks it's heavy. "What do you have in here, rocks?"

"Mostly your clothes." I answer.

"They're not _that_ heavy." She says defensively. She's now stepping onto the dock from the boat, so I run over to her to grab the bag. She almost loses her balance and falls back, but luckily I caught her just in time. With the bag in one arm, and her in the other, I help her get to the dock.

"Show off." She mumbles.

"Just trying to keep you dry." I answer innocently.

I grab some money from inside the bag and give it to the man at the boat. By now, it's about noon, and we have no idea where we're going to spend the night. We start to walk down the path without talking. We both know that this is the only reasonable way to go. I start to wonder if there's a nearby town. I'll definitely have to buy a tent or something so that if we can't find a town we're not sleeping in the rain.

My train of thoughts is interrupted when I see a few familiar faces and familiar symbols walking the other way down the road.

"Is that you, Gray?" I ask.

"Natsu, Lucy! You're alive! Wow, we all thought you were dead, but it's so great you're alive." Gray says cheerfully.

"It's MANLY to be alive." Elfman shouts.

"Ehh, whatever. Gray said it was going to be fun. He never told me it was a six hour walk." Alzack says lazily.

"Shut up! You agreed to it!" Gray responds.

"Well yeah, we're alive and well. Lucy is to thank for that. She saved us." I explain.

"I guess you've gotten soft since the last time I've seen you." He snickers.

"What do you mean by that?" I ask angrily.

"I mean you're getting soft!" He says tauntingly.

"Oh yeah? Is that so?" I challenge.

"Yeah it is!" He responds. We give each other glares for a bit, before we realize that we were actually talking about something. "Oh yeah. I heard Laxus was around here. We want to pound it into him to never mess with Fairy Tail again." Gray says triumphantly.

"I don't think you should." I warn him.

"What do you mean? Do you know what he did to the guild?" Gray asks.

"Yeah, I do. He told me himself." I respond.

"You've met the guy? I bet he was a total ass." Gray snickers.

"If it weren't for him, we wouldn't be alive right now." I tell him.

"You sure you know the same Laxus? The Laxus we know is selfish and wouldn't care about you." He asks.

"Laxus Dreyar? He saved our asses six months ago!" I answer. "He's the most selfless person I know!"

"Laxus Dreyar? You sure that's who you mean? Blond hair, ex-Fairy Tail member?" He presses on.

"We just came from Hargeon, one of the most dangerous cities in existence. Lucy and I are eleven years old, and the only name I remember from that town is Laxus Dreyar. We lived with him for six months, he trained me, and he protected us from making the mistakes he did. He talked about his attempt to overthrow the guild, and how he was a jerk to the people who cared about him. That's what happened, right? I don't remember any of you telling us that." I respond.

"Laxus ran away in hopes to get away from us." Gray explains. "That's why he went to Hargeon, so he would be unreachable for six months."

"Well yeah of course he did! He didn't want to fight you! He looks up to you guys as family even though you don't! He's a great guy! He's truly sorry for what he has done. And even if you don't let him back into the guild, you shouldn't attack him! He's trying to change, he's trying to be nice! Let him change for the better! If you don't, he may come back and try to take the guild over! And you don't want that, do you? So you should let him be on his own, while he likes your guild, so you don't have to worry about being attacked anytime soon!" I reason.

"Eh... Fine. If you can tell me what magic Laxus uses." Gray says. "Just so I know that you have the right person here."

"Laxus uses Lightning Dragon Slayer Magic." I answer.

"Good. If you think he's changed, I'll take your word for it. After all, you're basically the next king." Gray says.

"What do you mean by that?" I ask.

"Oh never mind." Gray answers slyly. "Well, I guess that's ruined guys. Let's go back home then."

"Really? You dragged us all out here for _nothing_?" Alzack asks.

"Not nothing. If they know the future heirs are alive then we'll definitely throw a party." Gray says optimistically.

"After six more hours of walking." Alzack responds.

"Quit whining." Gray says. "Well, home is still the other way. We were actually on our way home from a job. I guess we'll see you later, _King _Natsu."

"Who says I'm the king?" I ask.

"It's pretty obvious that you're going to be the king one day." Gray snickers.

"I still don't know what you mean." I tell him.

"You'll realize it eventually, my king. As for now, we're off. See you later, you two." Gray says, waving goodbye.

As I turn around to walk forward, I look at Lucy and back to myself. She's got that red face again, but that's not what's got me confused. Why do people keep calling me the future king?


	12. Chapter 12: A Bouncing Egg

**What I meant by Natsu being the future king was that they thought he was going to marry into the throne. Since Jude only has one descendent (Lucy), Natsu is only able to gain the throne by marrying her. That's why, Natsu is "Future King". Besides, Natsu should be king.  
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**I'm actually excited for the Fairy Tail filler arc. In the preview at the end of the episode, Natsu is holding Lucy bridal style! That's pretty sweet, isn't it? High hopes for this filler arc.  
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**Also, apparently 2:30 A.M. on October 23 is still October 22 according to my updates. I don't mind, I didn't break schedule!**

**Thanks for not giving up on my story. I didn't mean to take so long off, (as explained last time), but I'm back. If you ever find yourself waiting in between chapters (on that OTHER day), you can always check out Ice and Thunder's newest story. It's called Shadow Games (and yes, it's FT). Since it's not my story, I'm not going to tell you anything about it, other than that you should check it out if you have the free time.  
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**You know what bugs me? When people use this: ` as an apostrophe. It's not! An apostrophe looks like this: ' . Now, the only reason why I care, is because I usually read these things on my phone, and when you reach the end of a line, using ` will cut off your contraction or sign of possession onto two lines, but ' will not. So please, use right one.**

**Also, the bouncing egg (you'll understand later) is a reference to Paper Mario: The Thousand Year Door. If you've played it, you'll know what I mean by the bouncing egg.**

**Thanks to Disney lovers 101, Ice and Thunder, and Esme Alexis for reviewing. It helps me out a ton to know that you care about this story! You guys are seriously awesome, I don't know what I'd do if it weren't for you!  
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><p>The last time that I saw Laxus was six months ago. The last time Lucy and I crossed that river was six months ago.<p>

Six months, that's a pretty long time.

Yet for us, it flew by, just like those six months in Hargeon. Since then, we've been traveling all over the land. We've visited several different towns, some small, some large, but we've never spent long enough a time in them. Lucy and I think that we're halfway back to the castle, but we can never tell, since no two maps look alike.

Lucy has been doing her best to take the trip well. We walk almost everyday, following the same road. Lucy and I have been doing our best to walk as far as we can for as much of the day as possible. Lucy had a hard time adjusting to walking all day at first, and sometimes I even had to carry her a few times. She tries to hide her pain so that I think that she's okay. She doesn't know how much it hurts me to see her like that. If she's hurting, I don't mind stopping or carrying her, after all, a dragon must serve his princess.

She became accustomed to walking all day very quickly. I was surprised when I first realized that she was neither breathing deeply anymore nor was she falling behind.

We'd walk all day five days a week, and stay in the nearest town we arrived in the next to. Originally, I wanted to stop on Saturdays and Sundays, but unfortunately we couldn't because the towns weren't evenly spaced. Sometimes we'd end up walking for four days, other times we'd walk six. Regardless of the days we walked without stop, whenever we found a hotel, Lucy would always take a bath immediately. I didn't argue, since we'd go almost a week without any form of bathing. She absolutely refused to go bathing in the river, even if I said I wouldn't look.

And now, we're still on this same road, but much further north. I can't believe that we were all the way back at Hargeon six months ago. Every time we see a map, we gasp at how much space we've covered. It's amazing for us, after all, we're still only eleven.

This morning, we left the inn, and Lucy and I started on our journey. The first thing we see is that this path goes into a very thick forest. We don't make much of it, until we get inside. That's when we realize that it's not just a forest. It's a swamp. And all swamps are covered with water.

Icky, disgusting, brown, thick, sludgy, awful, two and a half feet high high water. We try to go around, but the little "pond" happens to extend really far in each direction. Trying to stick to the path, we come to the conclusion that we're going to have to cross the pond.

"I'm not going in _that_ water." Lucy protests.

"I don't expect you to. I don't really want to go in it either, but I don't have much of a choice." I respond.

"Then what do you plan on doing?" She asks.

"Going in the water." I tell her.

"I'm not going in that water." She repeats.

"I didn't say you had to." I answer.

"Then how will I get across?" She questions me.

"Get on my shoulders." I tell her.

"Huh?" She asks, confused.

"I said, get on my shoulders. That way you won't be in the water." I explain.

"Are you sure that you can? Can you carry all of me?" She asks.

"Yeah. I'll see how well Laxus's training helped me." I inform her.

"Alright then. Here goes." She says. I bend my knees, and she gets on my back, before climbing up to be sitting on my shoulders. I know that she's not _that_ heavy, but it still hurts a whole lot when she's on my shoulders. It's not as easy as carrying her when she's on my back. If only I could, but the water is too high for that.

I walk slowly, and I feel her hands are grabbing onto the sides of my head, particularly where my hair is. I find her reaction funny, doesn't she know that I'd never drop her? I step down slowly into the pond. I feel the leafy texture at the bottom. The water flows between my feet and my sandals. I take another step. Now I'm waist deep in water. Lucy is still dry. I pick up my first foot again, and move it forward. I manage to keep my balance, and Lucy remains try. My fifth step is normal, so are my sixth, seventh, eighth, and ninth steps.

For some reason, that tenth step tried so hard to screw me up. I don't know what I did to deserve this, but for some reason, I step on a rotting log at the bottom the pond. My foot slips and I begin to lean forward. Trying to direct my and Lucy's weight backwards, I push back, but that doesn't quite work because we're leaning backwards again right after that. I try to stiffen out, and manage to do so successfully.

"You okay there Natsu? I don't want to hurt you, you know?" She asks.

"Of course you're not. I'm perfectly fine. I just stepped on a log and slipped. I'll be okay, Lucy." I answer.

"If you say so... You really shouldn't be putting too much work on yourself." She says, muttering the first part.

"I'm not. It's never too much for you, Lucy." I tell her.

"Well I don't want to make you keep doing these things for me. It doesn't seem fair." She responds.

"Fair isn't always the best option." I reason.

I didn't realize while walking, but we manage to make it all the way to the other side during that conversation. Since I don't see anymore ponds I help Lucy down off my back. She gets on her feet, which are still dry, and tries not to touch my lower half, which is currently drenched in water. Dirty and disgusting water for that matter. There's nothing pleasant about the current situation that I'm in. Well that's not entirely true, I'm with Lucy. That's something that I'd definitely consider very awesome!

We keep walking through the forest, dodging the low branches and shady bushes that show up in our way. I'm holding Lucy's hand so that if she slips I can catch her. She really doesn't want to go in this dirty water. I understand her though, it's some girl thing. I don't really care, although I'd rather have my water clean.

We notice that the amount of water in the forest begins to diminish and soon enough we find ourselves in a normal forest. I'm glad that we're out of the swamp because that means that a town is closer, since the next one will most likely be on the other side of forest.

As we're walking, I begin to hear some rustling in the trees. I don't know what's there, but for some reason it's making a lot of noise. The two of us look up, trying to find out where that noise is coming from. After a minute of not being able to find anything, we both continue walking.

"What do you think that was?" I ask her.

"Probably just some wind." She answers.

"Oh. I guess that would make sense." I say.

"Why, what were you thinking?" She asks.

"Well, I think it was a-

I'm cut off by the sound of something rustling through leaves where we just were, but then falling to the ground. It hits the ground with a thud, and we turn around to see what caused the noise.

At first I'm surprised that it's still in one piece. Something like that would usually break in my hand if I crushed it. But then I realize it's also a whole lot bigger than the ones that I could keep in one hand. It also has a bunch of weird blue patterns. It's definitely not an ordinary egg!

"An egg." I finish.

"Well, I guess you were right." She jokes.

"What kind of egg do you think it is?" I ask.

"I don't know. I've never seen this kind before." She admits.

"What if... It's a dragon! It has to be!" I suggest.

"Why do you say that?" She asks.

"What else that size would be in an egg?" I answer.

"Well, baby dragons would probably have a lot larger of eggs than that." She informs me.

"I wonder what it tastes like." I wonder.

"Do you always think about food?" She asks.

"Well, food, fighting, and you. That's about it." I answer.

"Me?!" She stammers, turning to me. Was it that weird to say I sometimes think about her?

"Yeah, sometimes." I say, turning towards her.

"In what kinds of ways?" She asks embarrassingly.

"Well...I don't know. Remember when Gray and Laxus called me the future King?" I remind her.

"Yeah, I do." She says, for some reason looking extremely embarrassed. I don't know why she would be embarrassed. There's not much embarrassing about this.

"Well, anyways, sometimes I have dreams about being the king! You should know, I'm the best king ever! All the citizens love me! There's always large banquets with lots of food. The knights from the castle also occasionally spar with me." I say proudly.

"That's it? Where do I come into this?" She asks confusedly.

"Well, you're the queen! And we live in the castle together!" I answer.

"T-together?" She stammers.

"Yup. Same room, same bed, you know? Except we're both older versions of ourselves." I explain.

"Oh brother. This is really embarrassing." I hear her mumble. "Does he even know what he's talking about?"

"Of course I do!" I answer. She jumps, not realizing that I have super dragon hearing and heard what she said. "We live happily, you know. Kinda like a king and queen should."

"Yeah, but Natsu, you don't just be a king and queen as friends." She explains. "It's more than that. A king and queen should love each other."

"So? We can still be the king and queen right? Wouldn't it be fun _together_?" I ask.

"I... I guess." She admits.

"Hey by the way, why'd we stop walking?" I ask.

"Something about a...um...oh that's it! THE EGG!" She shouts. We both turn to where the egg was, and we can't see it anywhere. We begin to look around in that direction for the egg.

"I really want to know what's in that egg, so badly." I say.

"Well you can't just crack it. It has to hatch." She explains.

"Says you." I respond.

"Do you want to kill it?" She asks.

"Maybe if I got to see what was inside of it." I answer.

"Oh well, it's not like we'll find it." She says anyways.

Just then, I hear some bouncing on the other side of me. The two of us turn around simultaneously to see the little egg, jumping up and down at us. I smile at the little egg, even though he's not so little.

"Hey little guy, what's your name?" I ask.

The egg hops twice.

"Natsu, it can't understand you!" She says.

"Oh well. Maybe it can understand me." I respond. "Okay little guy. One jump for no. Two jumps for yes. Do you have a home?"

The egg jumps once.

"Would you like to come with us?" I ask.

The egg jumps twice.

"Can you hop your way around?" I question.

The egg jumps twice.

"Great! Well what do you say Lucy? Keep the little guy around with us for now? We can keep him until he hatches." I tell her.

"How do you know it's a guy? And yeah, sure I guess, if you want. I think he's cute now in his egg, but I'm not sure what he'll be when he hatches." She says.

"Okay eggy-egg. Hop once if you're a boy. Hop twice if you're a girl!" I command.

The egg hops once.

"Okay Lucy, it's a guy!" I tell her.

"A guy what?" She asks.

"I don't know, it's just an egg. We'll find out when the guy hatches." I remind her.

"Are you sure he hatches?" She asks.

"Do you hatch, little buddy?" I ask the egg.

The egg jumps twice.

"Okay, well he will hatch. I don't know what he'll hatch into. The guy can only answer yes or no questions right now." I explain. "Well anyways, just follow us. We're going to be doing a bunch of walking. We gotta get home."

The egg seems fine with it, and we continue on. I check to see if it's following us, and it is. I don't know how the egg hops, but for some reason it's able to. Weren't eggs supposed to be still? This egg is anything but still. I swear if this guy hatches into something docile, I'm naming him Hoppy. It'd be really funny if he did nothing but hop.

I will admit, the bouncing egg is really cute though. Lucy would probably say I've lost all my manliness if I told her that, but I'm certain that the egg is adorable. Who wouldn't want a bouncing blue egg that's half your height? That would be super awesome! He's got a mind of his own, and he's a new traveling companion.

I look to my left and see through some of the trees that the sun is setting. It looks really pretty, but it means that we're going to have to find somewhere to sleep if we want to get started early tomorrow morning.

"Hey Lucy, where do you want to stop for tonight? It's getting kinda late." I ask her.

"I want to see if we can get out of this forest. That would definitely be the best option for all of us right now." She explains. I agree.

We walk a bit further, and we notice the trees to be a little more sparse. We smile, hoping that this may be the end of the forest. After all, we've been in it the entire day, and it wouldn't be fun to be in it over night. Who knows what kind of things roam around here. We keep walking, until we feel we're safe enough from the forest to sleep without worry. We also begin to feel both tired in the sense of sleep and physical exhaustion. One of the few remaining trees looks like a good one to lie against. It has roots and a tree trunk that form a nice seat to lean back on. We sit and lean against each other and the back of the tree. The egg hops into my lap, surprising me with its weight. It's not too heavy though, so I let it stay there. I put an arm around Lucy and we fall asleep underneath the tree.


	13. Chapter 13: Pond Fish

**So that's a chapter. And yes, I forgot what I was going to say, yet again. I did update the description though! I didn't love the first one, so I decided to change it to the current description. That's a happy, is it not?**

**Thanks to Disney lovers 101, Ice and Thunder, the guest, and Esme Alexis for reviewing! **

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><p>When I first open my eyes, I feel a lot better. The first thing that I notice is that Lucy is still sleeping next to me, which makes me realize that I shouldn't move as to not wake her up. I feel really uncomfortable in my current position and I decide that I should at least try to get up. I move as slowly as I can so that Lucy can't detect that I'm moving and wake up.<p>

As soon as I'm free to move as much as I want, I stand up and stretch out my limbs. Sleeping against the tree was definitely not a good idea. I know for a fact that I'm never going to try that again. I much rather sleep on the grass. I bet even that egg would prefer the grass.

Speaking of the egg, I begin to wonder where it is. I look around the tree, trying to see if it's within the area, but to my poor luck, I can't see it anywhere. Maybe the egg decided that it wanted to find a new traveling companion. I felt a little hurt by the egg leaving, and a little betrayed.

I would have gone looking for the egg had Lucy awoken, but to my dismay, she's still asleep. I don't want to leave her alone and asleep, that would probably the worst thing I could do. There's no one closer to me than Lucy, I can't leave her alone when she's defenseless.

I sit down in the grass next to Lucy and wait for her to wake up. I don't want to wake her up because she's never really in a good mood when I do that. One time she tried to hit me, but I didn't really feel any pain. Of course, she's kicked a few jerks before, and trust me, it's not a pretty sight. I definitely don't want to get kicked.

I'm lost in a daydream, staring directly at her when she wakes up. She looks at me confusedly, and I snap back into reality.

"Morning Lucy." I greet her.

"Morning." She responds.

"Did you sleep well?" I ask.

"I think so." She says uncertainly. She stands up and I can tell she feels the same way I did when I woke up. "Maybe sleeping against a tree wasn't so good of an idea."

"Yeah, let's just stick to the grassy fields." I suggest.

"Sounds a lot better. Anyways, are we ready to go?" She asks.

"Yeah, I think so." I tell her.

"What about the egg? Where is he?" She asks.

"Well, I don't really know." I confess. "He was gone before I woke up."

"And you didn't go looking for him?" She asks, not angrily, but confusedly.

"Well, I didn't want to leave you alone and asleep. You'd be in more danger than the egg." I explain.

"Oh..." She says, "Well thanks for thinking about me then. But now that I'm awake, let's go find this little egg." She says.

"Yeah!" I shout cheerfully. Another adventure in our... adventure? Lots of adventure.

"Hey Natsu, why don't you try sniffing it out? I'm sure he didn't go far." Lucy suggests.

"Great idea!" I compliment. I take a sniff of the air, and pick up something that seems familiar to the smell of the egg. "I found it!"

I signal for her to follow, and we run towards the origin of the scent. I dodge trees, bushes, and even some small animals trying to locate the egg. After about five minutes of running, I stop to check to make sure Lucy's there.

To my surprise, she is. She managed to keep up with through that entire run. Five months ago, she could barely keep up with my walking pace, but now she can even keep up with my running one too! I'm really surprised, and happy for her. It's always nice to be able to run when you want to.

I flash her a smile before turning back to face forward. I realize that I'm now at a pond, except unlike the murky ones from yesterday, this one is crystal clear. I can see straight to the bottom in every single spot of this pond. Of course, with the exception of the fish.

There are so many fish in the water. They're all over the place too! So many kinds, so many sizes. The amount of fish in this pond is ridiculously crazy. I've never seen this many fish in any pond before. None of them were as large as the ones Igneel would bring home, but there were definitely a ton.

At first, I'm nervous because I thought the egg had accidentally fallen into the pond and was stuck, but on further notice, I realize that the egg is actually trying to get to the fish. I wonder just what kind of creature would be in there that would be after fish. So many fish, too. Well, if he decides he wants to come with us, we'll have to get him out of the water.

I jump into the water, and swim towards the egg. I can feel the fish swimming away as they create currents in directions away from me. When I get out to the middle of the pond, I cling onto the egg to catch my breath. Thankfully, it's large enough to allow me to hold onto it as well, and still refusing to sink. As soon as I'm about to swim back with the egg, I feel the egg resisting. I can't find anything else pulling the egg, so it must be whatever is inside of it.

"Oh come on man... You're gonna drown out here. What happens if you hatch in the middle of this pond. Do you even know if you can swim?" I ask.

The egg seemed to ignore me, because the tug on the other side only strengthened. He's pulling back harder now, but I'm not letting go either. I don't want this egg to die, it'd be downright awful to let something like that happen without doing anything about it.

I pull and pull, kicking underneath the surface in hopes of trying to grab onto something that could support me while I held the egg down far enough. At the same time I feel my force on the egg decreasing, I notice that the egg is also pulling harder. I'm slowly being lifted up and out of the water. Wait... Out of the water?!

Sure enough, I feel myself coming into contact with more and more air. I look down and see that the surface of the water is distancing from me more and more. I look up at the egg, which now has sprouting wings sticking out the back of it.

"So you can fly?" I ask, knowing I won't get an answer. "Wow, that's pretty cool. But, you...uh...mind putting me down? We need to get going."

Not even looking for a response from the egg, I look towards Lucy. I'm sure she has quite the sight right now. Me, hanging onto a flying egg, fifteen feet above the water, trying to get this egg to go back down safely.

I stay there for a few minutes, and I can see her giggling. She's trying her best not to laugh at me, but I just smile. I don't want her to think she's hurting my feelings, because she hasn't once made me feel bad about myself in the entire time I've known her.

Still, after a few minutes, I feel my grip start to weaken, and my hands start to slowly slide down the egg. Once I'm at the egg's widest point, I clamp my hands on as hard as I can. I'm not falling into the water today, I'm not even sure if it's deep enough to break the fall.

"Hey buddy, please go down. I don't think I can hold on much longer." I plead.

In the next instant, I hear a poof sound, and I suddenly find myself accelerating downwards. Straight into the water. Before I'm completely submerged, I look up to the egg and notice that the wings are gone, but the wing holes are still there. I guess the egg wasn't supposed to have wings in the first place. That'd make sense though, because I've never seen an egg with wings.

I swim up to the surface, looking for the egg to grab on to like a buoy, but I never see it resurface. I look down and see a small object in the water slowly shrinking in size. It must be the egg!

I nose dive down into the water, and swim for the egg. In the sea of fish, who are just trying to stay out of my way, I look for the egg. I'm underwater for at least forty seconds. I keep swimming, not stopping until I feel the familiar texture of the eggshell. I grab it as soon as I can, and swim upwards. When I get up to the surface, I exhale, but realize that it's not over for whatever is inside this egg. I need to get the shore as fast as possible! There's no way I can do this while worrying about drowning!

I swim choppily and quickly, doing whatever I can to get back faster. It's a little weird, swimming with one hand. Normally I use two, but I can't because there's no other way to make sure the egg is okay.

Water begins to enter my nose and I even inhale some of it by mistake. I ignore it. I have no time to let something like this slow me down, this poor egg's life is at risk, because it's probably still full of water, even when above the surface. I'm about halfway, and I feel my vision start to go. The black splotches appear in my vision, and everything starts to blur. The last thing I hear before I completely submerge is my name being screamed by Lucy.

A few hours later, I regain consciousness. I see an incredibly worried Lucy, who's listening to my heartbeat. I smile and speak softly, "Hey Lucy, what you doing?"

"Making sure you're alive. You had me really scared there Natsu! I almost lost you! Where would I have gone if I didn't have you?" She asks.

"Don't worry, you won't ever lose me Lucy. I can't check out just yet, not until you are as happy as you can be." I respond positively.

"Still, don't go off scaring me like that." She says quietly and softly. I just smile, knowing that she cares about me a lot. It's crazy, she must have gotten both the egg and me to the land by herself. Wow!

"Where's the egg?" I ask. I really hope she saved him.

"He's over there." Lucy responds, pointing to the egg. I exhale, letting myself slightly relax knowing that he's alive. "I drained him, which didn't make much sense to me. I didn't take eggs to be hollow."

"Yeah, it's certainly weird. Do you think that he can hatch?" I ask.

"If you want to try. As long as you don't kill the poor thing." Lucy says.

I walk over towards the egg and pick it up. He feels kind of heavy, but certainly not as heavy as he was when he was in the water. I guess Lucy really did drain the egg. I don't doubt her abilities though. She did get the both of us to the shore. I wonder how though. Not even I could swim in the both of us.

"How did you manage to get the both of us on shore? I don't think I could do that." I ask.

"Well, it's thanks to Aquarius really. She's also why it's really wet everywhere." Lucy reveals. "I summoned her to save you, but instead she makes a tidal wave in that small pond. She managed to avoid hitting every fish, but brutally picked up you, the egg, and me before we woke up over here."

"Oh. It didn't look like it rained." I say, now realizing that everything around me was indeed rather damp.

I put the egg down on a stump that must have been left over when the road was constructed. I look at the egg carefully. It still has the same designs on it, which confirms that he's the egg we know. I look for the wing holes in the egg. I roll it over and find the two small holes, no bigger than golf balls, in the egg. I put my eye up close to it to look and see if I can see what's inside. I put eye to the egg and try to look for something inside. Unfortunately it's too dark, so I can't see what's inside.

At least, not until it sticks its big eyes at me. Right through the same home I'm looking through, I see another eye looking back at me. It blinks, relieving me in knowing that he's still alive. I figure that since he's going to hatch, I might as well let him out on his own. He definitely looks like he could escape his shell right about now. Then again, Lucy says I don't know a whole lot of things about eggs. She trusts me on my knowledge of fire and combat, but she knows I'm not the brightest in things like this.

"Lucy, I think he's alive in there. Should we try removing the egg?" I ask.

"If you're sure he's alive in there, then you can do so extremely slowly. I don't want you to hurt the poor creature inside that egg." Lucy informs me.

I slowly rotate the egg so that the hole is in the very top of the egg. I put in my two index fingers and pull in opposite directions. I feel the egg start to slowly crack, and I smile. I don't hear any pain, so I keep cracking small portions at a time. Once I have a large enough gap in the egg, I look inside to see if anything is in there. What I see, is amazing to even me.

"Wow, I'm so happy you're alive!" I say, looking at the _cat_ in this egg. Cats do not go in eggs! Chickens yes, most other birds, yes, but not cats! Cats don't go in eggs!

"Happy, you're alive... Happy." It whispers back. "My name is Happy?"

"If you want it to be." I say. "Hey Lucy, look! Happy's awake!"

"Is that what you're naming him?" Lucy asks, while walking over. "I like that name, Natsu."

"Yeah, me too. But look Lucy, he's a cat!" I point out.

"He looks so adorable!" Lucy says. "I can't believe it! We have a cat for a friend!"

"Well, I do fly too!" Happy responds. "In fact, I'm better than anyone else at flying!"

"You talk too!? Wow!" Lucy realizes.

"Yeah. So anyway, Happy, were those your wings out in the pond?" I ask, wondering why he was flying.

Happy jumped out of the egg shell and jumped onto the ground. He extended wings out and flew up to the top of my head. He rested himself on top of my head. I found it adorable.

"Yup, that was me. Sorry about that Natsu." Happy says.

"Wait, how do you know my name?" I ask.

"Well, I was in the egg, but I did here you. You and Lucy were talking a whole bunch. It sounded really cool, with the adventure and all." Happy tells me.

"Oh. Okay. Well you can be a part of our team if you'd like." I offer.

"Team?" He asks excitedly.

"Yup! You, me, and Lucy! The three of us." I suggest.

"That sounds be great!" Lucy agrees.

"But you just met me today. And I almost got Natsu killed." Happy says sadly.

"It's okay, I don't blame you." I respond.

"Yes, and we'd both love to have you on our adventure." Lucy adds.

"You mean it?" Happy asks.

"You bet we do!" I say. "A traveling cat companion was something I always wanted to have. Now I get a flying and talking cat!"

"Then I'm in!" Happy says excitedly.

"Just one more thing though, Happy. Why did you go to that pond?" Lucy asks curiously.

"Well, it had to be the fishes!" Happy answers. "I love fishes. They're the tastiest food ever! All I eat are fishes! I smelled some really tasty fishes, so I decided to follow my nose, even if it was inside the egg. And I landed in the pond with all the fishes!"

"I'm guessing you wanted to eat those fish?" I ask.

"Yep. That's why I went there." Happy explained.

"Well, why don't we spend the day there? Is that okay with you Lucy? As a welcome for Happy?" I ask.

"Sure, let's go back to that pond. But no drowning this time Natsu. I don't want you risking your safety again. It was too scary last time." She pleads. "You were lifeless for a few minutes, and even once you started breathing again, it was still scary. Please don't let that happen again."

"I promise I won't Lucy. And just like you, I don't break promises." I answer.


	14. Chapter 14: Fighting the Food!

**I always think of NaLu when I hear the song Animals by Maroon 5. It's because of the line "I can smell your scent for miles" and the fact that many NaLu stories include Dragon Slayer enhanced smell which in some way prefers Lucy's smell over all others. It's weird, but it makes me happy to be reminded of my OTP in the middle of the day.**

**And yes, I just used OTP. That's what they are to me (if my stories haven't made it clear enough) and always will be.**

**Thanks iJustLostmySanity, Disney lovers 101, Esme Alexis, Lucy-Bubbles-Heartfilia, and Ice and Thunder for reviewing. Much appreciated!**

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><p>Standing up, I offer my hand to Lucy in order to help her get up. She takes the offer, and I pull her up, even though she's capable of standing up on her own. I can tell how nervous she is about going back to the pond. What was seconds to me must have been dreadful hours to her. I can only imagine what she went through.<p>

Yet, she doesn't want to disappoint our new friend. Lucy is the type of person who would sacrifice something that she wants in order to help someone else, even if that means comfort. I can tell she's nervous about going back to the pond, so I make sure to grab her hand before we start walking. That way, she'll know that I have her and that she has me.

I can tell Aquarius was definitely here because every step that we take is soggy and I can feel my feet sinking into the ground. It's kinda gross, but at least this pond up here will clean our feet off.

"So, eh, Happy, you're a cat, right?" I ask.

"At least I think so." Happy answers.

"Oh okay. You must be some kind of rare cat then." I reason.

"Why's that?" Happy asks curiously.

"Well you can talk, fly, and your cat fur is blue. Those are three things no other cat has." I say.

"I don't know why I'm like that? Is that bad or something?" He questions.

"Nope. Just curious. I didn't know if you knew." I answer.

"Happy, were you born able to talk?" Lucy asks.

"Aye! The first thing I remember is being in the egg! I found you guys and followed you by your smell!" Happy exclaims.

"Wow, really? And you were born able to fly too?" She asks.

"Aye! I think it's some kind of magic, but I can fly!" He answers.

"Wow, Happy, you really got a head start being born both able to fly and talk." I point out.

"You think so?" He asks excitedly.

"Sure, after all, I wasn't born like that. Neither was Lucy." I answer.

"Oh look, the lake!" Lucy points out, unintentionally changing the subject.

"FISH!" Happy shouts.

"Woah, hold up there Happy! Last time you went after the fish I almost drowned. I promised Lucy I wouldn't, so don't go off on your own too quickly." I warn him.

"Aye, maybe you're right." He answers. "I can swim though!"

"That's good news. I won't have to jump in after you." I tell him. I turn towards Lucy and ask, "Do you mind eating fish for dinner?"

"No, not really." She answers. "As long as you catch tasty fish."

Without delay, I begin to look for some things that I could use to make a makeshift fishing rod. I doubt anybody is selling fishing poles nearby, so I'll have to do my best to make some from the things around me. The first thing that I look for is a stick. I need something that is sturdy, but flexible as well, so that the fish won't snap it, but I can use to pull against. Once I find something of a good quality, I open my backpack and look for some string inside.

A few months ago, while we were hiking some smaller mountains, I needed some string to tie my coat together since the original ones were missing. Thankfully, I hung onto that string. It works well with what I need right now. I tie it to the stick, and make sure that the string does not move its position on the pole. I don't want the fish swimming away with my string!

The hook was going to be hard to find. I'm not entirely sure what I have that would work as a hook. I don't have any hooks in my bag, and I doubt there would be some lying around on the ground. People don't usually go to the middle of a forest to dump their extra fishing hooks. I sit on a log, thinking about what I could use as a fishing hook. I watch as Happy flies through the sky over the pond, probably looking at the fish.

"What are you thinking about?" Lucy asks, sitting down right next to me on the same log.

"Just what I'd use for a hook." I answer.

"Why would you need a hook?" She asks before she sees the fishing rod I'm trying to make. Once she does, she responds, "Oh. I see what you mean now. But wouldn't that not work anyways? You need to be able to reel in the fish, right?"

"Igneel taught me how to use it with just a stick. It's a lot harder, but it works." I explain.

"So why don't you just use the hook he taught you how to make?" She asks.

"Well, I would but he had me use stone hooks. I reused those, except when the fish got away with them. That was the worst, because stone fish hooks weren't easy to make." I answer.

"Oh. Well, I'm sure you'll figure something out. Worse comes to worst, you can always use your magic. I'm sure that will cook them." She says.

"You think it will?" I ask.

"Of course it will! Your magic is awesome! I'm more worried about you overcooking the fish." She answers.

"Well, I can promise they won't be undercooked. I'll do my best not to overcook them." I respond. I stand up off of the log, and run straight towards the pond. With a big splash, I submerge and start looking for the right size fish. Since there are so many in this water, it won't be hard hitting _a _fish. I'm just not sure which fish is _the_ fish that I want to hit.

I spin in place in the water, scanning all angles for the fish that I want. I spot a really big fish, and return to the water to grab some air before going back down to chase after it.

I speed at the fish as quickly as possible, putting fire at the back of my feet to increase speed. I can feel the fire going out, but it is propelling me forward. I see the fish try to dodge, but I readjust my positioning and try to home in on it. When the fish is within arm's length, I grab it in a big hug. It starts flailing rapidly, trying to shake me off, but I resist it. I start heating up the front of my body as to weaken the fish's resistance. Instead, the fish starts swimming, while still shaking rapidly to get me off of it. The fish darts for the surface and spins midair, allowing me to regain my breath. As he is in the air, I put the heat on, trying to cook his insides.

We go back underwater, and fish is still putting on a fight. It's heading straight down towards the bottom of the pond to most likely scrape my against it so that I fall off. Seeing his tactics, I push the fish as far to the left as I can. Luckily, I'm able to change his direction so that it's not able to go into the ground. Now I'm on top of the fish and it is swimming horizontally to the seafloor. I clench onto the fish as tightly as I can with my hands, and release my feet. Pointing them as high as I can, I ignite as much fire as I can. I push the fish straight into the ground, aiming to weaken it some more.

The fish hits the ground with a thud. Before it gets away, I swim to the surface with it. It's not really fighting back so much anymore, but I can tell it's using the last of its energy. Quickly I go to the surface and try to swim to land. Once I reach the shore, I stand up with my prize, and put it down far enough away from the pond. Once I do so, I sit down next to Lucy, who is still at the log.

"That was quite a show, watching you duke it out with that fish. That was one big fish. It has to be seven feet tall!" Lucy says.

"Aye! I can't wait to eat it!" Happy adds.

"I'll cook it in a bit, I guess. I'm really tired from that." I respond. Now that I'm not exercising, I can tell that hunting that fish down took a lot of energy out of me.

"Cooked fish? I usually eat mine raw." Happy says.

"You ate fish while you were in that egg?" Lucy asks.

"Well, not really, but I just know that I like raw fish more." He responds.

"Well, I guess I'll cook some of the fish later." I say.

I sit back on the log and stare out at the pond. I haven't ever been to a pond like this since Igneel and I used to hunt fish. It's really been a while. Watching these fish swim has me nostalgic for the time when Igneel and I used to fish. He'd always jump in the water and come out with fish that were easily ten times the size of the one I caught. He'd make a big meal, and I'd eat the one that he didn't gobble down in one bite. He also made big splashes. Sometimes the waves would send me over top a tree because they were so big.

"Heya Natsu! I don't want to rush you, but the sun will set soon, and I don't want to be caught in this forest at night. I don't want to be eaten by mosquitoes." Lucy warns me, snapping me back into reality. I guess that daydream of Igneel really took me out of things.

I get up and look for some sticks to make a fire with. I grab as many as I can, trying to remember where I saw some earlier today when I was looking for the sticks for the fishing rod itself. Once I find a large enough amount to sustain a fire that would be able to cook this fish, I place them all in one pile. I create a makeshift holder for the fish, using sticks to balance it above the fire. Once everything is in place, I apply a little bit of heat and light the fire. I sit close to it, so that I can watch the fish cook. Lucy comes up from behind and sits down next to me.

"Wow, you set that up fast, Natsu. Where did you learn to do that?" Lucy asks.

"Igneel taught me." I answer. "We used to fish together all the time. He liked his fish raw like Happy does, but he showed me how to cook mine. He explained this way of cooking them."

"Oh, that's cool." She answers. "It looks like it works pretty well. But why don't you just use your own flames? Wouldn't that be simpler?"

"I'm not very good at making sure the inside is cooked all the way through. Igneel explained out to use these fire setups, but never taught me how to use my flames. I used to try to just use my magic, and it never really worked. The inside of the fish always burned and I was left drained and tired from my use of magic." I explain.

"Oh wow. So how long will this fish take?" She asks.

"Probably around 15 minutes. I'm only going to cook this half, since the fish is really big." I explain. "That and Happy doesn't eat cooked fish."

"Aye!" Happy chirps in. He flies over and lands next to me. "Wow, that fish looks really tasty!"

"Just wait Happy and you can taste all of its flavors in their best form." I say.

_Just wait... Natsu... and you can taste all of its flavors in their best form._ That was something Igneel used to tell me. I still remember him saying that the first time I tried to eat a fish raw. I asked him what the point of cooking it was since Igneel ate them raw and I was hungry. He told me that they tasted better cooked. Since I was impatient, I never really wanted to listen to him. He didn't really give me a choice though, because if I didn't wait for the fish to cook, he'd eat the last one too and I'd be hungry. I never really pushed my luck with that one.

"Natsu? You there?" Happy asks, standing very close to me.

"Yeah, uh, sorry about that." I respond.

"What had you so out of it?" Happy asks.

"Just an old dragon friend of mine." I answer.

"You knew a dragon?" Happy asks delightedly.

"Yup! He's my dad, Igneel!" I tell him.

"What kind of dragon?" He asks.

"Fire Dragon!" I answer.

"Wow, that's so cool Natsu! I can't believe that you've actually seen a dragon!" He says.

"Well, it has been a while. Igneel disappeared on me right before Lucy found me." I explain.

"Really? Aye, that's how you met Lucy?" He asks.

"Yeah, just after Igneel left, Lucy found me." I answer.

"Oh wow." He responds.

A few minutes later, I think that the fish is ready to be eaten, so I get up and pull it off the fire. I cut a big chunk of raw fish out for Happy, and get examine the cooked meat to make sure it's safe to eat. Upon realizing that it is most likely safe to eat, I cut out a big portion of meat for Lucy, and some more for myself.

Lucy grabs the fish meat and takes a big bite. Even though I pretend not to be listening, I'm really curious as to what she's going to say about my fish. I really hope I didn't overcook it this time.

"Wow, Natsu! This is great!" She says. A sigh of relief escapes me and I'm filled with the satisfaction of knowing that I didn't let Lucy down. Something about disappointing her makes me very sad for some reason. I don't really know why, but whenever she's happy, I'm always happy, and whenever she's unhappy, I'm unhappy. It's weird, and I don't really understand what makes me feel this way.

Deciding to ignore the thought, I pull out a giant piece of meat and stuff my face into it. I can taste some of the fish and I know that I actually did a pretty good job with this fish. Sometimes my fish taste really bad, usually because I overcook them.

Something I learn that night is that Happy has an appetite for fish. Seriously, there's no one with a bigger appetite for fish than him. Happy eats and eats fish likes there's no tomorrow. I really hope he doesn't become a fat cat for the sake of his flying abilities, but it's kinda frightening just how much fish he can eat. For someone that small, I wonder what exactly happens to that fish. I wouldn't know, but apparently Lucy says that the same things happens to me. She tells me that I eat so much more food than normal, yet I don't gain a pound. I wonder if it's that way for Happy too. That would be pretty funny, and I'm sure happy wouldn't mind eating fish without ever having to risk his flying abilities.

Once we're done eating, I grab my bag, and Lucy and I continue on with our new companion. We travel through the forest quickly, because I don't want to get mosquito bites, just like Lucy doesn't. We're doing a fast walk, almost a jog, through the forest. When we get on the path, we keep walking, even shortly after the sun dips below the sky. We pass by the tree we slept underneath last night. It's not until the sky becomes completely dark that we decide it's time to stop walking and fall asleep. By then, we're basically out of the forest. Thankfully, there are no ponds around us, which means no mosquitoes. Mosquitoes are the worst.

Before I close my eyes, I begin to wonder how exactly Happy got his name. Did he figure it out himself? I don't ever remember calling him Happy until he asked if it was his name. Does Happy mean anything? I'll probably ask him tomorrow, as I'm much too tired to right now. He's already asleep on the grass next to me. Lucy's snuggled up against me, probably because I'm so warm and for her it must be fairly cold out tonight. I wouldn't know, I'm a Dragon Slayer, and I don't experience cold.

But seriously, how did Happy get his name?


	15. Chapter 15: Adoring Fans

**I really need to sit down one day and just read a really long NaLu story. I used to read stories like ****_Issues_**** in one day because I didn't like the suspense of what was going to happen. I would be reading them for ten hours straight because I could never get bored of what was going on.**

**Fun fact: This chapter ISN'T being started at midnight or later. That's good, right?  
>Fun fact #2: I procrastinate. Have these upload times not shown you so?<br>Fun fact #3: This chapter was written mostly after midnight.  
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**Anyways, I'd like to thank Esme Alexis, Disney lovers 101, and Ice and Thunder for reviewing.  
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><p>I never ended up asking Happy why his name came to be. I planned on it, but I forgot the next morning, and didn't remember for a while. I was nervous to ask him, because I don't want him to think that I misnamed him. After all, Happy is a pretty awesome name. I never thought of myself actually having a cat before. I don't know, they just would seem like some sort of hindrance on my adventures. I can't talk to a cat can I? Can the cat fly? Nope. Happy can though, and that's why he makes an awesome adventurer. I'll ask Happy what his name is someday in the future.<p>

I don't know why he's in an egg though. Dragons come from eggs, chickens come from eggs, but not cats. At least, that's what Lucy tells me. Lucy is all sorts of smart though, so I believe just about everything she says.

A few more months pass after Happy joined us on our travel, we arrive in yet another town. I don't know what people will say about him, after all, it isn't everyday that a talking cat flies around town. Sometimes people would stop and ask questions about him, yet other times people acted like it was normal to see a cat like him. I'm curious to see how these people will react. However, I don't get to find out because just half an hour before we walk into town, Happy decides that he wants to sleep. Since he won't attract attention while sleeping, I won't get to find out how people react to having a cat with wings and the ability to speak.

Lucy and I have turned twelve, or at least Lucy has. I don't remember my birthday, but I know that I'm about Lucy's age. It's really been a while since we began our journey. I can't believe that it's been two years since I've seen Jude. I'm sure Lucy is suffering a lot, but she tries to hide the pain. Still, I hear the occasional breakdown and do my best to cheer her up.

We've grown accustomed to having Happy around with us. Happy is a lot of fun to be around. He's helped us on our travels a lot, especially when we need to cross canyons or other gaps. He's always Happy, which I guess suits the name. Happy does have a weird sleeping schedule though. Sometimes he passes out in the middle of the day and is up all night.

We look just like normal kids when we walk into town, and nobody stops to speak to us. Finding a place to spend the night, we search the town for some form of inn. When we finally find something of the likes, we get a room, wash ourselves, and go to bed.

I always get my best sleep at an inn. Having the comfortable bed is really important when it comes to sleeping well. That's one of the many reasons why I sleep in the same bed as Lucy all the time. I don't really have an explanation for why I want to sleep in Lucy's bed in particular, but I just know that I want to be in the same bed as Lucy, no matter what.

Happy sleeps on the pillow that Lucy and I aren't occupying. I often cuddle close to Lucy, so we only take up about half of the bed. Happy doesn't object, probably because he gets half the bed to sleep on. Last night, he slept on the pillow that we weren't on.

We always have our best meals on the mornings after sleeping in a hotel. Normally, we eat food that is filling and healthy so that we can continue to walk, but on these mornings in which we're at a town, it's a lot nicer just to eat what we enjoy. We get so much exercise and we're so young that there's hardly a point in watching what we eat. Still, I find myself eating twice as much food on these days. Even Lucy, who refuses to admit it, will eat more on these days.

It's always the early afternoon when we make a departure from a particular town. Lucy doesn't ever want to walk right after a meal, and I don't push it, considering she's pretty relaxed on most of the things that I want to do.

However, today there's something that prevents us from leaving early. Rather, I should say someone, because the distraction came in the form of two young children.

We're about the walk out of the city, when out of nowhere, two small kids no older than five, start running towards us. I wasn't sure why they were chasing us in particular, but I realize once they shout my name that they're looking for me. Well, actually, one of them is shouting, the other is just chasing after the blond-haired kid.

"Natsu! Natsu! Wait up, Natsu!" The young, blond-haired kid shouts.

After hearing the young boy shout, Lucy, Happy, and I turn around. We see the little kids running towards us at full sprint. They look extremely excited to see me, but I don't know why. I haven't done anything remarkable yet, have I?

"Sting, wait up." The dark-haired kid says to Sting, the blond-haired kid.

"Yeah, but Rogue, there's no other way we'll meet him. The _real_ Natsu! I really want to meet this guy!" Sting explains.

"Look, he stopped. There's no need to run." Rogue responds.

"Yeah, well don't act like you didn't want to see him either! After all, it was _you_ who spotted him last night when he came in with his girlfriend and cat." Sting argues.

"I am not interested. I simply informed you, thinking that you were." Rogue replies.

"Suuuuuuure. And I'm not a Dragon Slayer!" Sting says.

Is this little kid a Dragon Slayer? Just like me? He's so young though! How could he possibly be a Dragon Slayer if he's barely taller than Happy? The only other Dragon Slayers that I've met were Gajeel and Laxus, and things didn't end well with Gajeel. I don't want to know where he went, but these little ones look friendly.

"I'm a Dragon Slayer too, you know." Rogue responds.

They're both Dragon Slayers? Wow! I wonder if they had the same dragon.

"Of course I know. Otherwise I wouldn't have formed a team with you!" Sting replies.

"Really? That actually hurt." Rogue answers.

"That's not what I meant!" Sting says, realizing what he meant.

"You want me just for my magic?" Rogue asks.

"No! You and I are brothers, you know that!" Sting pleads.

"Yeah, but you just said..." Rogue says.

"Forget what I said! You are my brother. We're a team! The Twin Dragons!" Sting explains.

"Yeah, I know. By the way Sting, has any ever told you that you're spastic?" Rogue asks.

"You! On several occasions!" Sting answers. "But that's not true! I'm just energetic, that's all."

"...and prone to quick mood changes..." Rogue says, sighing.

"Are you trying to start a fight!?" Sting asks, enraged.

"Case in point..." Rogue replies.

"Shut up! I bet I'm stronger!" Sting taunts.

"Don't change the subject! You're prone to quick mood changes!" Rogue says.

"Aren't we all?" Sting asks.

"Yeah, but you more than anyone!" Rogue replies.

"You little! I'm gonna tear you apart and rip you to shreds! You'll fall at the hands of the White Dragon Slayer!"

"Guys?" Lucy interrupts. "You were here to see Natsu, right?"

Both of them turn their attention towards Lucy.

"Yes, umm... Natsu's girlfriend, we're here to see Natsu. We've been dying to meet him." Sting explains.

In an attempt of denial, Lucy says, "W-What!? I'm n-

"Yes, that's me! Natsu." I interrupt, not letting her finish her sentence.

"Really? You gotta prove it to us! The last guy who said he was Natsu was just some phony fire mage." Sting responds.

"Well, um... how should I?" I ask.

"Why don't you show them that you're a Fire Dragon Slayer?" Lucy responds.

"That sounds great! What do you think Sting, Rogue?" I answer.

"Sure, but you have to eat fire. Anyone can say 'Fire Dragon's Roar' and make flames appear. You need to eat fire because only Dragon Slayers can eat their elements." Rogue explains.

"I get a free meal out of this?" I ask excitedly.

"If you can down it." Sting answers.

Sting pulls out a packet of matches. The pack is untouched since all of the matchsticks are present. He grabs one and strikes it, lighting the match.

"Okay Rogue, stand still so that I can light your shirt on fire." Sting instructs. Without thinking, Rogue complies.

"Okay." Rogue replies. A second or two passes, "Wait a minute! No way!" Filled with fear of losing his clothes, Rogue dashes away as fast as he can.

"How about you, umm... Natsu's girlfriend? What's your name by the way?" Sting asks.

"It's Lucy, and I'm not-

"So how about it? Can I light your clothes on fire for Natsu to eat?" Sting asks.

"No! Out of the question!" Lucy shouts embarrassingly.

"Jeez, nobody wants their clothes lit on fire these days." Sting sighs. "And you made me waste a match too."

"Why don't you light something inconsequential on fire. Like a book." I say.

"Books are important!" Lucy objects.

"A book is a great idea!" Sting answers. "Hey look, there's a library over there! I'll be right back in a few minutes."

Rogue comes back as soon as Sting leaves. Lucy tries to object, but I hold her back. I don't want her getting lost.

"Sorry about my friend there." Rogue apologizes.

"I like Sting." I answer. "No need to apologize. He's pretty energetic and he's cool."

"He gets like that. He's been looking all over for the real Natsu Dragneel. Ever since what happened in Magnolia last year." Rogue explains.

"At the Fantasia Parade?" I ask.

"Yes. This year's Fantasia Parade actually had statues on honoring you two. It was the first sign that we had that you two were alive." Rogue says.

"Gray must have told everyone then." I say to myself.

"Anyways, word got out to Sting, and he got really excited. He heard about some Fairy Tail wizards seeing you two on the main road, just very far south of here." Rogue explains. "He had such high hopes that you two would come. Specifically you, Natsu."

"But why me though? I haven't done many significant things in life so far." I ask.

"That's not true. When people found out that you survived the blast on the Fairy Tail guild bombing, specifically that you saved the princess, they began to praise you as a hero. Later they found out from another Dragon Slayer, from the attacking guild, that you were willing and almost gave your life for the princess." Rogue answers.

"Yeah, but that's my job." I reply.

"Job or not, you make being a Dragon Slayer look awesome. Sting and I used to be made fun of for our magic, but now people are praising us for it. You showed everyone that Dragon Slayers are really awesome people. If it hadn't been for you, we wouldn't be proud to be Dragon Slayers." Rogue explains.

"Hey guys! I'm back!" Sting shouts, running towards us with a book. "And guess what! I just got a library book that we can burn!"

I'm hesitant at first. I don't think that burning this book is a great idea, because if it's the only copy and it's a good book, we'll be destroying lots of hard work.

"I picked this one specifically. The person obviously has no respect for Dragon Slayers." Sting explains.

He's right. The title of the book is _Why Dragon Slayer Magic is a Thing of the Past_, which is completely false. Suddenly, I want to burn the book myself.

Sting pulls out his pack of matches again, strikes another and holds it underneath the book. He lights the pages on fire, and quickly hands it to me. I wait for the fire to burn the whole book beyond recognition before I eat it.

"It really is you!" Sting shouts cheerfully. I can see the look on his face change into the happiest expression I've ever seen. He runs up and hugs me.

"Of course it's me, I've been saying that for a while now." I answer.

"Well I guess so. You have the pink hair, the scarf, the pretty and blond-haired girlfriend, and you're on the road I expected you to be on. I guess I didn't need to test you anyways." Sting explains.

"That's me." I reply. "Description fits perfectly."

"So Natsu, how long are you planning on staying in town?" Sting asks.

"We were actually on our way out of town right now." I answer.

"Really? Don't go so soon. Please!" He begs.

I look over to Lucy and she simply nods. "Sure, we can stay another day." I respond.

"Yes! Thank you so much, Natsu! You're so awesome!" Sting cheers.

"I'm guessing you have nowhere to stay right now?" Rogue asks.

"Pretty much." I answer.

"Well that's okay, you can stay with us if you'd like." Rogue offers.

"You have a home?" Lucy asks, surprised. "You're only, like, five though!"

"Well, actually six, Mrs. Dragneel." Sting answers.

"That's still really young to own a home! And my last name isn't Dragneel!" Lucy says.

"But I thought that girlfriends took their boyfriends' last name." Sting asks.

"That's further along the line, basically a wife." I explain.

"Ohh... Okay." Sting says.

"Anyways, just follow us, we'll take you to our home." Rogue instructs.

We listen, and the two lead us through and out of town. There's a small forest right on the edge, and a little ways inside of it appears to be the house that these two live in. The house is small, having only one floor and probably two rooms at most. There are some windows, but some are impossible to see through because of all of the overgrowth of vines and other plants.

"We found this place abandoned. I guess nobody wants to live in the forest." Sting explains.

"It's a cool house." I compliment. Inside there is a relatively clean bed, with a night table, desk, two couches, and stove.

"Yeah, well, we fixed it up a year back after the two of us met. We decided that it'd be best to live here and just travel when we want. You know, live out freely?" Sting says.

"Yeah, I know what you mean." I respond.

"Anyways, you guys take the bed, and Rogue and I will take the couches." Sting offers.

I would tell them that it's okay and that they can have the bed, but Lucy probably wanted to leave today and she's sacrificing her time to spend the night, so I'll just let them give us the bed for her.

After twenty minutes of setting down our stuff and taking out what we need, Sting brings up the idea of dinner.

"Rogue and I will go get us some dinner. Rogue do you have the money we earned last week?" Sting asks.

"Hey don't worry about it. Dinner is on me." I tell them, handing Sting several dollars.

"Wow, really? Thanks Natsu!" Sting says appreciatively. I just smile back.

"Hey Happy!" I call out. Happy wakes up, from his afternoon nap. "Sting and Rogue are going to get food. Do you want to help them?"

"Aye! I'll go Sting and Rogue. Are they friends?" Happy says.

"Of course." I respond. "I wouldn't send you off with an enemy."

"Aye!." He introduces himself. "I'm Happy, Natsu's cat."

"I'm Sting, and that's Rogue." Sting says, pointing to Rogue. "Let's go get some food. Maybe you can help us determine what foods they like."

"Aye! Natsu likes everything and Lucy likes the fatty foods." Happy informs.

"I do _not_ like fatty foods!" Lucy protests, but is ignored by Happy.

The three leave, leaving me and Lucy at the house. Lucy lies back on the bed. I'm sitting on a couch.

"They're quite an interesting pair, those two." Lucy observes.

"Yeah. It's pretty cool. They're both Dragon Slayers!" I say excitedly.

"And they're pretty young too. I wonder how old they were when their Dragons left them." Lucy wonders.

"Pretty young, probably. We should ask them when they get back." I suggest.

"Yeah." Lucy responds.

A few minutes of silence pass by. I think of something to say, hoping to break the silence. It's definitely not the pleasant kind of silence.

"So Natsu..." Lucy asks.

"Yeah Lucy?" I answer.

"We still have plenty of money left, right? You haven't spent it all?" She asks.

"Nope! We still have a lot left. Enough to buy us a castle, probably." I answer.

"Good. I don't want to end up having to work for money. That would seriously delay our travels." She explains.

"Yup." I agree.

A few more minutes of silence. This time, I'm the one who breaks it. I get up off of the couch, and walk over to the bed. I lie down next to Lucy.

"Hey Lucy?" I ask.

"Yeah Natsu?" She answers.

"Thanks." I tell her.

"Thanks for what, Natsu?" She asks.

"Thanks for letting us stay with these two. I know you want to get moving, but I just wanted to thank you for letting us stay." I explain.

"It's not really a problem. These kids are pretty nice, and they really look up to you." She says.

"They're pretty interesting kids, aren't they?" I ask.


	16. Chapter 16: Love Expert 1

**Sting and Rogue are younger mainly because I'm ordering these events as if the time skip never existed. Therefore, Natsu and Lucy would be 7 years older than Sting and Rogue. Natsu and Lucy are about 12, and so Sting and Rogue should about be five, assuming that after the time skip they're the same ages (which is my simple assumption, no logic whatsoever). However, I wanted to make them as old as possible, so I put it in the situation that Sting and Rogue have earlier birthdays, and as a result, are six years younger at a certain age.**

**(And yes, that 420 Igneel was a poor reference to 4/20)**

**Fun fact: The first time I ever felt some sort of romantic feeling was when I was 12. Is that earlier or later than you?**

**Thank you for the positive feedback. Last chapter's reviewers were Disney lovers 101, Azulira, and Ice and Thunder.**

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><p>Lucy and I sit on the bed, resting, while we wait for Happy, Sting, and Rogue to return. I still don't really understand how those two can be dragon slayers. I mean, they're so freaking young! I wonder when their dragons left them, maybe it was at the same time as mine. I probably shouldn't ask though, because they probably don't like to talk about it, just like I don't.<p>

I'm so bored, waiting for those three to get back. I really want to destroy something, or fight someone. I haven't done either in the longest of time. There are always the few people who try to mug us on our journey, but most of them are blown to shreds in a mere instant. Those guys are so stupid for attacking us. It's like they want to lose.

I wonder how Lucy's magic is holding up. She didn't train with me back with Laxus, but I'm sure she did something to enhance it. She does open spirits every now and again, but it's not nearly as often as I fight. The magic could remind her of home, and she's been trying to get home for years now. I feel bad, thinking about home, because I know that she is seriously missing home right now. Though, summoning her spirits wouldn't be a bad way to pass the time. I could probably fight one of them.

"Lucy?" I ask.

"Yes?" Lucy answers.

"You okay?" I ask.

"Yeah, I'm fine." She responds.

"Could you do me a favor?" I ask.

"What's that?" She replies.

"Summon me a spirit! I wanna fight!" I say.

"Natsu! You can't summon spirits to _fight_." She tells me.

"Why not?" I pout.

"Because, spirits are friends, not foes." She answers.

"But if it's all in good fun..." I reason.

"Nope. I'm not summoning them to fight you." Lucy says.

"Fine... I'll find something else to do." I respond, getting up.

I walk over to the desk, and look on it. I see a few photos on it. One is of Sting and Rogue in the town. There is a drawing of what looks like Rogue in front of a big black dragon. It reads, "Skiadrum, father and teacher, you live on in my heart. Signed, Rogue Cheney, X777." So his dragon also disappeared in X777? It doesn't sound much like a disappearance as a quote for someone who has died. His dragon didn't die though, right? Another photo looked like Sting in front of a white dragon. It too, was drawn by hand, but rather elegantly. Whoever made these is a pretty good artist. The caption read, "Weisslogia and Sting, X777." There were some small red blotches in the top left hand corner that reminded me awfully a lot of blood. I hope it wasn't from anything fatal.

I open a drawer in the desk and look around. Inside there are some pictures of Lucy and I from when we were back in the castle. I'm circled on them and it says, "Become like this guy: The best Dragon Slayer there ever was." Next to that was an article from a year ago, when Lucy and I had left Hargeon. Those Fairy Tail wizards must have told everyone about our existence, because the article was titled: "Fairy Tail guild reports Princess Lucy Heartfilia and her bodyguard Natsu Dragneel are alive!" Inside there's an article with Gray, Elfman, and Alzack that mentions them seeing us at Hargeon. It must have been those three who reported it.

In the drawer below that is a piece of paper and a camera. On the paper it reads: "Money to buy a camera." Below are small amounts of money all added up to what I guess is the cost of a camera. It looks like they worked pretty hard to get this camera. I wonder why they'd need one though. What would they take pictures of? It looks like their dragons were gone before they got pictures of them, so what is it that they'd take a picture of?

"Natsu, it's not really polite to go through someone's stuff, you know." Lucy reminds me.

"Yeah, but these little guys couldn't have anything dangerous, could they? They seem like really awesome people, I doubt they have anything to hide." I point out.

"I guess, but you still should have checked to see if it was okay." She says.

"I will next time." I respond.

Going back to looking through, I notice that there is a small note underneath the camera. I don't think much of it, but when I pick it up, I see exactly how important it is. The message on this note reads: "Camera for finding and taking a picture with Natsu Dragneel! Greatest Dragon Slayer ever!"

I'm so honored to mean so much to these two. They've gone through the same things as me: abandonment, loss of a father, and a lack of loved ones, yet they still manage to press on. They adore me because I did exactly what they did. I don't understand why they care so much about me. So what, I brought the name of the Dragon Slayers higher by saving Lucy? To these two, it means the world. They think I'm some kind of hero, all because I saved Lucy that one time. It's great to be thought of so highly, but I do I really deserve all of this thanks?

After my examination of their desk drawers, I sit back down next to Lucy. I don't know exactly what to do, and having her summon a spirit doesn't sound like all that bad of an idea. After all, I'm bored enough that I don't want to keep going through their things.

"Hey Lucy, can you please summon a spirit?" I ask.

"Will you fight it?" She asks. I _probably _won't.

"No. I'm just really bored, that's all." I admit.

"Oh...umm... okay, fine. Which one do you want summoned?" She asks.

That's a good question. I'm not sure who I want summoned. I rather have a guy spirit summoned because I'm more in the mood to relax with one of them. I wonder which one is the most like me though. Taurus is too perverted, Capricorn is too fancy, Gemini too weird, although I could have Gemini clone another person. That would still be weird and make me feel uncomfortable when talking to a fake version of the other person. Sagittarius, again, too fancy for my wants. Cancer probably wants to give someone a haircut, and although that's useful, I don't need one right now. That only leaves Scorpio and Leo. Scorpio is pretty relaxed, but I think I'd get along better with Leo.

"How about Leo?" I ask.

"Yeah, sure. I can summon Leo." Lucy responds. "No fighting though! I don't want you damaging Sting and Rogue's house!"

"I get it. I won't fight. I promise!" I say.

"Good. I'm not in the mood to deal with his flirty nature so go take Leo outside." She instructs.

"Okay then. Just summon him in." I reply.

Lucy gets up off the bed, walks into the middle of the house and says the incantation to summon Leo. As soon as Leo appears, I make sure to greet him so that he doesn't show his flirting around Lucy.

"Heya Leo." I say.

"How's it going, Natsu?" Leo asks.

"Good. Things are doing well. Let's go outside and do stuff. Lucy and I are waiting for some friends to come home with dinner." I explain. The two of us walk outside and into the forest from Sting and Rogue's house. On the way, we continue to talk.

"Sounds good. I could always use another fight." Leo offers.

"Sorry, not today. Lucy doesn't want me damaging that house." I inform Leo.

"Understood." Leo responds. "Although, you're taking _that_ kind of order from Lucy?"

"Yeah, wouldn't you?" I ask.

"Of course, I'm her spirit and I owe it to her. You on the other hand have full choice in this. Normally, you'd be all over the opportunity to fight." Leo explains.

"Yeah, well, I don't want to make her mad." I reply.

"It could be something else." Leo says.

"Like what?" I ask.

"Attraction." Leo answers.

"You took that much out of me listening to something she said? I always listen to her, but this is the first time you've ever said anything as crazy as that!" I say confusedly.

"Yeah, but you've never given up fighting for her before. I'm sure we could fight right now, the two of us, and you wouldn't get caught. Of course, I know that you'd never go back on your word, but you could do that." Leo explains.

"I wouldn't. That would be lying, and I can't lie to Lucy." I reply. "Still, I don't see what this has to do with attraction."

"Well, it's pretty easy, actually. Think of it like this. Who are the only people you listen to, no matter what?" Leo asks.

"Well that's easy. Jude, Igneel, and Lucy." I answer.

"Jude and Igneel are father figures, right? So that's normal. It's good to listen to what your father has to say." Leo explains. "But why Lucy though?"

"Lucy is a close friend." I say.

"You have other close friends though, right?" Leo asks.

"If you count the people I met along the way on my journey, then yes." I answer.

"Would you do more for them than Lucy?" He asks.

"Of course I wouldn't! Lucy is different from the rest!" I defend.

"You love your father right?" Leo asks.

"Igneel? Of course I do. Why do you keep asking questions I already know the answers to?" I respond.

"Now, tell me, who would you do more for, Lucy or your father?" Leo asks.

"Well... Lucy." I admit. As much as I love Igneel, I value Lucy just as much. She and I have been traveling together for the past two years, and she and I have grown really close. I think that if Igneel were here, he'd rather have me do something for her. I know that Lucy would appreciate it more, and I really want to make her happy more than anyone else. There's something about her that makes me want to take on the world just for her.

"Exactly." Leo says.

"Huh? What do you mean? Exactly what?" I ask, confused.

"Can't you see it? You value Lucy more than your other friends. Lucy would have to be either your best friend or someone you like or love." Leo explains.

"Yeah, so? She's my best friend, what about it?" I ask.

"She's obviously a little more than that. You said that you value her more than Igneel, correct? Best friends do not go above family. Lovers do." Leo reasons.

"There's no way!" I deny.

"Deny if you must. You'll learn one of two ways, the hard way when she finds someone else, or the easy way when she picks you. You can control which outcome that you receive. I don't think there's anyone that could steal her away from you right now." Leo explains.

"Stop babbling nonsense!" I shout.

"Calm down, Natsu. I'm just letting you know why you feel so greatly for Lucy. You're bound to realize it on your own." Leo says.

"You're about to realize my fist in your face!" I shout.

"Well, we can't have you breaking Lucy's promise, can we? Well I'll see you later. Take care of Lucy for me." Leo instructs.

"You better be going, you chicken!" I taunt into the thin air where Leo used to be standing.

That stupid spirit! Getting me all confused about love. I'm 12 years old! Does he think that I'm getting married tomorrow? I don't know why he couldn't have just waited until I was older and actually able to understand this stuff. It's weird enough as it is. I'm already starting to feel different around her, it's not like I need someone to add some extra nervousness. Sitting alone in rooms with her has become awkward because I'm afraid to say things that will make her hate me. Am I to blame, though? A girl like her isn't just found anywhere.

I'm all worked up about this now. I should probably go back to the house before I get into a fight with this forest. The last thing Lucy wants is for me to turn Sting and Rogue's backyard into a pile of ashes. I wouldn't mind it, but of course, Lucy's will is stronger than mine. Stupid love! I'm too young for this. 12 years old is way too young! Can't my stupid mind wait until I'm older and actually understand this? Of course not.

Either way, I manage to calm down before seeing Lucy. If she thinks I'm angry, she'll try to figure out why, and the last thing I need to have is an unintended confession. When I walk back into the house, Lucy is asleep on the bed. I walk over towards the bed, and sit down on the mattress. I gently stroke her long, blond hair. It's extremely soft, and feels great to stroke. I would do this even if she was awake if she let me.

At some point Lucy must have woken up, because after about five minutes of stroking her hair gently, she calls my name.

"Natsu" She says, relaxed and rested.

"L-Lucy!" I respond, shocked. I stop stroking her hair in fear that she'll get mad.

"Mm... Don't stop Natsu. That felt nice." Lucy says.

"O-ok!" I reply nervously. "You sure?"

"Yeah, it feels good. Really good." She answers sleepily. I begin to stroke her hair again.

"Still feeling alright?" I ask.

"Yup. Are those guys almost back? I'm _starving_. It's been a while since they left." Lucy says.

"I can pick up a faint smell. It seems to be getting stronger so they must be on their way back." I inform her.

"That's good. What does the food smell like?" She asks.

"I don't know. I'm smelling Happy right now. Since I'm so used to his scent, it's the only scent besides yours that I can pick up from this far." I explain.

"So whose can you smell from further than? Mine or Happy's?" She asks.

"Well, yours, obviously." I answer.

"Does that mean you'll always find me, if I get lost?" She asks.

"I'd find you even if you weren't lost." I respond.

"Even if I didn't want you there?" She asks.

"It'd make me a very sad dragon, but I'd still follow you to ensure your safety." I tell her.

"Well, noble dragon, I won't let be a sad dragon." She responds.

"That's a happy thought." I answer.

"Yup! So continue to be a great dragon." She says.

"I'll do my best." I promise.

For the next few minutes, the only action in the room is my stroking of Lucy's hair. She's still lying down on the bed, and I'm still sitting on the side of it. Moments like these make me start to believe in what Leo was saying. If I do actually feel this way for her, hopefully she feels the same way back. That's how it works, right? When two people like each other? That's not for a while though. I still think I'm too young to have a serious relationship. I don't know though, part of me wants to be able to call Lucy mine. Another part of me wants to let things play out as they will, and a third part wants me to try to figure out how she feels for me.

Love is complicated. It's the first time that I've ever had to think about loving someone else. Igneel used to talk about love a lot. He used the word mate though, instead of girlfriend. I think they mean the same thing, but I'm not entirely sure. Igneel said something about mates being for life. That sounds pretty awesome, mates for life. I would never want more than one person in the center of my life. Not in the romantic sense.

And there's a pretty big part of me that wants Lucy to be that part. Is that love? I'm not sure.


	17. Chapter 17: Fiery Display

**An army... Hmm, yes, that sounds wonderful. We could start by conquering a smaller ship like RoWen. Invade the users, force them to produce content for me. After that, we could shift our focus to something larger. Slowly infiltrate major ships, until we finally conquer everyone. An army does indeed sound wonderful...**

**And don't worry Esme, it's okay that you missed a day or so. You are one of my most active reviewers, so I don't mind.**

**I wasn't sure about Leo or Loke. Given this story's plot, it'd make more sense that they call him Leo. I could have made some Loke situation up, but Leo was easier.**

**Thanks to DazzTugz, Disney lovers 101, Esme Alexis, Ice and Thunder, and Azulira for reviewing.**

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><p>I'm really unsure about what I want to be with Lucy. Unfortunately, I'm not given much time to think about it because Sting and Rogue just walked through the door. I reluctantly moved my hand away from Lucy's hair to prevent anyone from questioning me. I could see her split second frown and immediately feel bad. I want to put my hand back, stroke her hair once more, but I can't because those three are there.<p>

On a happier note, the food is here to take my mind off of all these weird questions of love that are circling through my hair. We can eat, and I can ask those two to show me their magic. That would be something really cool to see. I've seen Lightning and Iron Dragon Slayer Magic, but neither of theirs. Sting said he was a White Dragon Slayer, but I don't know what kind of Dragon Slayer Rogue is. However, these thoughts completely vanished once I smelled the food. All that I could think was to eat that food. After we finished eating, however, the thoughts returned and I became curious about their magic.

"You guys said you were Dragon Slayers? What kind?" I ask.

"I'm a White Dragon Slayer! Rogue is a Shadow Dragon Slayer." Sting answers.

"So you're like opposites then?" I ask.

"Yeah, but we're the greatest team ever! The Twin Dragons! Opposites can make great combinations, you know." Sting says.

"I know." I respond. "I guess your personalities are pretty opposite as well. And what is White Dragon Slayer Magic? Is that like light?" I ask.

"Yup. White light." Sting answers. "Do you want me to show you?"

"That would be awesome!" I respond, accepting the offer.

"Okay, well let's go outside then. I don't want to destroy the house." Rogue inputs.

"Rogue that was only one time!" Sting protests.

"Yeah, but we slept in the cold all week long!" Rogue replies.

"Fine... We were going to go outside anyways. You think I didn't learn from last time?" Sting asks.

"With you, I never know." Rogue mumbles. I could hear that, and I'm sure Sting could too, if he's a Dragon Slayer.

"Well come on Rogue, Natsu. We're going to the testing grounds." Sting says, leading us to the doorway.

"You can just call it the empty field." Rogue replies as the four of us are stepping out the door.

"Yeah, but testing grounds is a much better name." Sting answers, walking away from the house.

I glance at Rogue and he's giving off a look as if he's trying to say, "Yeah right", but is keeping silent because he knows the conversation would go on forever. Lucy looks a little cold, so I put my arm around her and try to warm her up. She smiles at me, but I continue to look forward. We walk for a good ten minutes before we arrive at a small clearing, which seems to be plagued with holes and dead grass.

"Sting, did you have to make such a mess of the field?" Rogue asks.

"They're called testing grounds for a reason! To _test_. They're not there to be clean!" Sting replies.

"Just show some more respect next time." Rogue replies.

"We're here to show Natsu and Lucy our magic. So let's get going with that. I want to go to bed soon." Sting says.

"Don't we all." Rogue mumbles.

"Alright, here we go." Sting says.

A small circle of light forms around Sting, three times his size and a few feet away from him. There is a thicker beam that is centralized directly above him. Light is swirling around Sting and forming in his fists, feet, and mouth. Against the dark and light-less night, Sting's light is blinding. I'm deeply amazed by it. He does a roar, which is a laser beam, and makes holes through several trees.

"Sting! The trees!" Rogue shouts angrily.

"Get over here and show them your magic or I'll put a hole through you." Sting threatens.

Rogue complies and turns into shadow. I guess it would fit his title, Shadow Dragon Slayer, but it's kind of confusing how he can just vanish into the ground. He moves around, and at one point flies out of the ground and into the air. He's barely visible at this time of night, since shadows aren't really cast. His roar is that of shadows, which unlike one might suspect, is extremely powerful. It's really crazy, his abilities are so amazing at such a young age! I can't believe that he can do such advanced magic!

"Wow! Your magic is super cool! You guys really are amazing Dragon Slayers!" I compliment.

"You really think so?" Sting asks, with a tone of surprise.

"Yeah! Of course you are! You're freakin' amazing!" I answer.

"Natsu, you're the coolest!" Sting shouts, hugging me.

"Well, you're pretty cool yourself." I reply.

"Why don't you show us some of your magic, Natsu?" Sting asks.

"Sure, I can do some." I answer.

They happen to ask at the right time. Fire is always the best at night, because of how bright it is. Igneel used to show me free-form fire. He explained one time that fire doesn't have to take the shapes it usually does. He told me that I can control the shape of my fire if I did it right. Of course, the fire has to be connected to my hand as a constant source, but I can make cool things.

I distance myself from the other three, and hold my palm out in front of them. I send a burst of fire down my arm that travels to my hand. When it reaches the palm it stops, and sparks start to fly from my hand. After a few seconds, a small line of fire comes out from my hand and travels down towards the ground. It starts to form a chair. The first leg forms, which is followed by the support bars on the bottom. A second, third, and fourth leg form. The seat is next, and lastly the backrest on the seat forms. I pretend to sit in the chair, which is still fire that is coming out of my hand.

"So, where should I start?" I ask.

"Woah, Natsu that's awesome!" Sting cheers.

"Yeah, my dragon taught it to me." I reply.

"Wow!" Sting says, full of awe. "Can you make fireworks?"

"That's easy." I respond.

In an instant the fire retraces its path into my palm. The chair vanishes and I pretend to fall down on my back because of its disappearance. Lying down, face-up, I point my right arm straight up and form a handgun shape. I pretend like I'm shooting a gun, and shoot different firework designs up. The first one says "Sting", and is followed by "Rogue". Afterwords, I stand up.

"Can you make pictures?" Sting asks.

"Only if I think about them for a while." I answer.

"Do you have any thought up right now?" He asks.

"Just one." I respond.

"Can you show it to me?" He asks.

"Yeah, sure." I answer.

I point my hand up again, acting as if it's second nature. I'm placing concentration into the drawing that I've been thinking of for the longest time. It's a thought that crossed my mind in one of my dreams, and I don't ever want to forget it. It's pretty detailed, but after a few days of secret practice, I think I'm able to do it. I concentrate my fire in specific spots, as to aim for the right spots in the sky. I let the flames free from my hand. My fire flies into the night sky, straight towards the starry sky.

When it reaches its peak, at the moment of truth, I do nothing but smile. My image was recreated to perfection. My last trial didn't go so well, but this is the exact image I wanted. It's a big dragon breathing fire. Riding the dragon was a princess, pointing a big sword forward. Lastly, there was a cat sleeping on the princess's head. The crown was barely visible.

"Natsu, you're an artist!" Sting says.

"I wouldn't say that." I respond. "It's just one picture. If you remember it, it's not too bad to make it."

"Yeah, but that's still amazing." Lucy says. "It's really detailed."

"I have tried that one before. The first result wasn't anything recognizable." I explain.

"Are you sure that you're a Fire Dragon Slayer? You seem like a Fire Make Mage, if those even exist." Rogue asks.

"Yeah I am. I know for a fact because I'm really hungry after making those three small things. Dragon Slayers aren't meant to make specific objects." I answer.

"Then why did you?" Rogue asks.

"Well, my dad Igneel taught me that. He's a Fire Dragon. Igneel always told me that fire was free and full of passion. He said that fire can take any shape, but that you have to put your mind to it. One time, his breath formed the shape of a shooting star. It was pretty cool, and I asked him to teach me. He showed me how to shoot flares. It's a pretty simple concept, really. I basically have control over all of my fire while it's still on my body. The second it leaves my body, I lose control. That's why I made the chair. My hands were on the armrest while I pretended to sit. Making fireworks wasn't very hard either. I just have to make the same image, but really, really small on my hand. That's how I wrote Sting, Rogue, and drew the picture." I explain.

"Wow." Sting says. "You must be a genius." I hear Lucy laugh and know immediately what she means. I can be smart!

"Well, it's getting pretty late. We should probably sleep, since Happy is home alone." Rogue suggests.

"Yeah, sure." I reply in agreement.

On our way back, Sting and Rogue walk ahead of us. Lucy is right next to me, and walks beside me.

"Igneel would be proud." She says. Immediately, my heart races.

"You really think so?" I ask excitedly.

"I know so." She answers. She thinks that Igneel is proud of me? Igneel! She really thinks that my display back there could impress Igneel? Did she like it that much? Unable to control the happiness inside of me, I grab Lucy by the waist in a hug. I pick her up with all of my happiness.

"Ah! Natsu!" She screams, startled.

I put her down, but continue to hug her. I'm so happy that she's proud of it! I'm so happy that she thinks that Igneel is proud of it! I can't control this. Nobody has ever told me that Igneel would be proud of me! I've always wanted to show my dad that I'm really awesome! I grab her upper arms, holding her at a distance. I stare into her beautiful eyes.

"Thank you, thank you. Thank you so much. Thank you, Lucy." I mumble. I go in for another hug, this one a little higher. I hold Lucy close to me as I smile in happiness. I still can't believe that she thinks Igneel would be proud of me. Igneel wasn't easily impressed, something I've told her a lot. She really thinks that would make Igneel smile and tell me that I'm an amazing son? It's something that I've always wanted.

I release her from the hug slowly, but catch her left hand in my right one. She looks up at me, a little confused, but I just smile back. She makes a small smile, and I see a blush on her cheeks. I face forward again, and Sting and Rogue have turned around to face us. I feel a little embarrassed that I did that in front of those two. They make no scene of it, however, and once they see that we're ready to go again we continue to walk.

I walk in silence with Lucy for the rest of the time. We occasionally glance at each other, but nothing more than that happens. I'm too happy to think clearly. I'm way too happy, I feel like I could explode.

Inside, Happy is asleep on the desk. Sting and Rogue sit down on one couch, and Lucy and I take the other.

"So, Natsu, your dragon taught you all about how fire works?" Sting asks.

"Yeah! He taught me everything that I needed to know." I answer.

"Wow. That's amazing. Could you share some of your stories with us?" Sting asks.

"Sure. I have a whole bunch of them. I'll tell you my favorites." I say. "So, it all began one day, when I was younger. I don't really remember my parents, but that all changed once I met Igneel. He became my _parent_. It was in a forest much like this..."

For the next the hour, I talk about Igneel and how I met him. I still remember when I told Lucy this story all those years ago. It's crazy to think that we've known each other for years. It's only felt like days. I find myself wanting to spend every moment with her.

"...and so that's how fire works. Igneel really taught me all about it." I explain.

"Wow! So cool! Well, it's probably time we go to bed. You gotta show me some more fire in the morning when you're all fired up." Sting says.

"All fired up?" I think aloud, repeating the last three words of Sting's command. "That sounds really cool! Yeah, I'm all fired up! I'M ALL FIRED UP!" I shout.

"Shh! Don't wake Happy up." Lucy says.

"Sorry, I just thought the saying was really cool." I explain.

Sting and Rogue take the individual couches and Lucy and I walk over towards the bed. Lucy gets in first, and I lie down next to her. Even though I'm pretty confused about my feelings, I definitely know that sleeping as close to her as possible gives me the best feeling ever.

I hold Lucy close. About half an hour later, when I realize that sleep isn't coming to me, I begin to wonder if Lucy is awake.

"Hey... Lucy!" I whisper.

"Huh, what, Natsu?" She asks.

"Yeah, it's me Lucy." I say.

"What do you need?" She asks.

"Just wanted to talk to you." I answer.

"Okay, well talk about what you want." She offers.

"Hmm... Do you mind if I talk about the castle?" I ask.

"No, it's fine." She answers.

"Well, I was wondering, when we get back to the castle, what you planned on doing." I explain.

"First? I'd probably spend a lot of time with my dad. There's no one that I miss more than him at the castle. At least my mother gets to watch me from above. Dad doesn't know anything." She explains. When it's put that way, I do really understand what she's saying.

"Yeah, I miss him too." I say.

"Yeah... But after that, I'd definitely go to a ball or two. We could dance to the music, you know? I think that would be fun. We'd have big fancy meals." She imagines. "The two of us would have lots of fun together. Just think about how great it will be. Late night partying." As I begin to imagine it, I know that she's definitely right. But aren't dances for couples? If the two of us are dancing, then maybe she _does_ like me. But I don't know, it's confusing.

"You'd have to teach me how to dance. But the meals sound really tasty." I reply. "I can just imagine them."

"I'm sure you can." Lucy says.

"Maybe those two can join us at the castle." I suggest.

"Sure. Dad probably wouldn't mind them since we're so much older. They do need a home. Maybe we could leave them some money. Just to help them out. Though I could see them making it big at Fairy Tail." Lucy says.

"They'd be very powerful. We can always give them money to go off to Fairy Tail. Magnolia isn't too far from here, right?" I ask.

"Nope. They could probably use this house as a resting place between jobs too." Lucy says.

"Hey Lucy?" I ask, suddenly thinking up something.

"Yes?" She answers.

"Well, I just want you to know that you'll always have me." I tell her.

"W-what? N-Natsu, what do you mean?" She asks, while stuttering. Why is she stuttering?

"Well, I wanted to let you know. I won't ever leave you. Ever." I explain.

"Thanks Natsu. I won't leave you." She says.

My response comes in the form of lying back down and pulling Lucy with me. She giggles, and I hold her close. We fall asleep together, her in my arms, just like it should be. I still have one lingering question.

Does always wanting to be around someone mean that you love them?


	18. Chapter 18: Goodbye, Sting and Rogue!

**A day late because I don't want to post tomorrow, so I decided to push the schedule back a day. Sorry for no heads up.**

**Why is this story so fluffy, simple, and happy? Well, you'll find out in a while when the next story comes out. It's going to be sad, dark, and full angst. (That's not for a while though). I figure that I should write a lot of happy things before I do something really sad. It'll be sad, not tragic.**

**Don't worry orionXD, I don't mind if you miss chapters. You've given a lot of support, so there's no reason I could possibly be mad.**

**Thanks to Disney lovers 101, Ice and Thunder, orionXD, and Esme Alexis.**

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><p>I start to feel a new attachment to Lucy. I'm not really sure what it is, but whenever I'm not around her, I want to be around her. It's sort of like a new kind of possessiveness. I can't really explain it, but I know that there's one thing that's clear in my mind: keep Lucy as close as possible. It doesn't sound like a bad idea, so I don't even dare try to fight it.<p>

This attachment begins the next morning when I wake up with Lucy in my arms. I hug her, holding her close and definitely not caring about anyone or anything else. The only person that matters right now is Lucy, and keeping Lucy as close as possible. I can worry about everything else later, even if it means that Happy makes fun of us.

"Natsu, are you awake?" I hear Sting ask. I'm so tempted to just ignore him and hug Lucy some more, but if I do it right, I can answer Sting and still hold onto Lucy.

Removing one arm, I lean over and look at Sting. "Yeah Sting?" I ask.

"Well, we're going to get breakfast. Do you want us to bring you some back?" He asks.

"Really? That's awesome! Yeah!" I answer.

"Okay, well we'll be on our way then. Happy, Rogue!" Sting calls out.

Ignoring anything from that point on, I go back to exactly how I was, making sure not to let anything interfere with Lucy and me. I begin to think about how weird of a desire it is to want Lucy close to me all of the time. She does want freedom still, and there's no way I can take it away, but I can definitely do things to keep myself close to her. Comfortably close, of course.

When I feel Lucy begin to stir, I loosen my grip a little bit, but I don't really let go. I don't want to let her completely free until she wakes up on her own. Like I said, nothing will get between me and Lucy. Nothing. A few minutes after her first stir, she wakes up and tries to sit up.

"Morning, Natsu." Lucy says tiredly.

"Morning Lucy." I respond.

"Where are the others?" Lucy asks.

"They're getting us some breakfast." I explain.

"That sounds nice." She says.

"Did you sleep well?" I ask.

"Yeah, mostly. I'm going to miss sleeping on a bed for a while." She answers.

"I'll do my best to make it as fun as possible." I respond.

"I know you will, that's something I know that _my_ Natsu would always do." She says.

For some reason, 'my Natsu' sounded really amazing. I'm not really sure why it feels so nice to be hers, or what that even means, but when I hear it, I feel full of elation.

"So, are we leaving after breakfast today?" I ask.

"Sure, I really want to get back on the road as soon as possible." She answers.

"Then after breakfast it is!" I shout. "Well, we're all ready to go. I'm going to miss those two though. They're quite the interesting kids, even if we've only known them for a day."

"Yeah. It's sweet how they look up to you." Lucy inputs.

"They'll be pretty powerful wizards one day. They have a lot of strength." I say.

"Just like you." Lucy says.

"Yeah. Just like me." I agree.

A few minutes of silence pass. Lucy and I are still resting on the bed, side-by-side, and looking at each other. I can't think of anything to talk, but I personally don't mind the silence. Oddly enough, it's pretty comforting. I spend this silence staring at Lucy, observing everything about her. For some reason, I never really noticed how pretty she was. I don't know why now, of all times, I realize that Lucy is pretty. Maybe it's the love thing. Is love what I feel for Lucy? Maybe that's why I think she's pretty. No, that's not it. I've heard other people call her pretty before. So why is it now, of all times, that I think she looks pretty? My thoughts drift in search of a possible answer, but don't gain much ground before Lucy interrupts.

"Hey Natsu?" Lucy asks.

"Yeah Lucy?" I respond.

"You said, forever, right? You'd be with me forever?" She repeats.

"Yes. Forever and ever, Lucy. I'll follow you to the ends of the Earth." I tell her.

"Really? That far!?" She asks, surprised.

"Well, of course I would. You're very important to me, Lucy. I would do a lot for you." I explain.

"I know, it's just I didn't know that I meant that much to you." She says.

"Of course you do, Lucy. Why else would I go out of my way to bring you all the way home?" I ask.

"Castle foods..." Lucy suggests.

"I'm not completely controlled by food!" I say.

"It was just a joke." Lucy responds, giggling.

"Well, Lucy don't ever doubt how much you mean to me. There's not a person I'd exchange you for." I say.

Just then, Sting opens the door, revealing Happy and Rogue carrying all of the breakfast foods. Lucy doesn't have anytime to respond to what I said, which has me a little down because I really want to make sure Lucy knows that she means a lot to me. Why else would I have continued on this journey? It's not all for fun. Most of it is boring segments of walking for several days straight, so I could definitely think of something more fun to do.

"Next time, you're carrying everything." Rogue says grumpily.

"Yeah, next time Natsu comes to visit, I will." Sting replies.

"Not...fair!" Happy shouts while carrying several heavy bags. I find it pretty amusing to watch him, a flying cat, try to move the food onto the table. He does look like he's struggling, which is odd because usually Happy doesn't have a problem with carrying bags.

"What did you put in here? Rocks?" I ask Sting, pointing to the bags that Happy is carrying.

"One of them, yes. But that's because Rogue dared me." Sting confesses.

"Did not! I had no idea you stuck rocks in them." Rogue denies.

"Oh come on. Don't lie." Sting says.

"Umm... Guys." Happy began.

"Don't worry Happy, I'll defend you." Sting answers.

"Guys..." Happy says.

"Yes?" Rogue asks.

"There aren't any rocks in here. Rogue has them." Happy responds.

For the rest of breakfast, there's an argument over whether or not Sting planted the rocks on Rogue, or if Rogue did it himself. No conclusion is reached, but I didn't really pay attention. I was too infatuated with Lucy to care in the slightest.

I still don't understand how she got so pretty in my opinion in such a short time. I don't ever remember her being THAT pretty. I know good looks when I see them, and I know that Lucy had them, but for some reason, I never really picked up on Lucy's beauty in that much detail. I never noticed how her hair shines in the sunlight, or how her eyes sparkle when she's happy. When she smiles, I feel like I've been set on fire, which feels absolutely amazing. She has a really cute nature of underestimating herself. She didn't think that I cared about her nearly as much as I do, nor does she think she's worthy of being a princess. She doesn't really know how overqualified she is.

What kinds of thoughts are these? Are these what they call those romantic things known as "feelings"? I know what regular feelings are, after all, I'm not stupid, but romantic feelings are really different. Is this what they feel like? They've completely consumed me. It's like a tidal wave that hits a boat: you can't avoid it and you can't control it. All you can do is submit to it, and let it become a part of you.

After breakfast, I tell Sting that we plan on leaving. He looks sad, but remembers about the camera that he bought.

"Yes, the camera! That's exactly what I need! Now I remember!" Sting thinks aloud.

"What for?" I ask.

"To take a picture with you, of course. I've been saving up for one for the longest time. I just _knew_ that you'd be coming down the road, so I bought a camera just so that when you would come, I'd be able to take a picture." Sting explains.

I remember seeing the camera yesterday. I'm sure there's more than one shot in it. I wonder if I can get them to take a picture of me and Lucy. The two of us haven't had one together in a long time. I also wouldn't mind having one with all of us, so that I could always remember the Twin Dragons wherever I go.

"Aha! Here it is!" Sting shouts.

"Where are we going to take the photos?" I ask.

"Outside in front of the house. I'd like to be able to remember that you stayed in our house." Sting explains. "Plus it'd make all of those other kids jealous. I can just see the look on Rufus' face! But anyways, just follow me."

Heeding Sting's instructions, I follow him outside. The five of us stand outside at a good distance from the house, so that we can see both us and the house in the picture. Sting places the camera down on a log after he gets the rest of us in position. He taps the top of the camera, pushing the "take picture" button, and running all the way over to get in the shot in time.

Sting looks at the photo, and decides that it's good enough. He shows us, and I do agree, the picture turned out pretty great. In the back are Lucy and I, standing next to each other while smiling at the camera. In front of us are Sting and Rogue, also side-by-side. Happy is flying in the middle of the picture with a big grin and looking down on Sting and Rogue.

"Hey Sting, can you do me a favor?" I ask.

"Yeah, what do you need?" Sting responds.

"Could you please take a picture of Lucy and me? We haven't had one in the longest of time." I explain.

"Sure thing, Natsu." Sting agrees.

Lucy and I stand together, in front of the forest that we went into the day before. I smile remembering Lucy tell me that Igneel would be proud. I know that she means what she says, so there's no reason for me not to believe that.

"3...2...1..." Sting counts down. At the last second, I pull Lucy close with my arm. She acts a little confused but she manages to smile just in time for the photo. It comes out perfectly, and I thank Sting for the picture. The picture is of Lucy and I, standing in front of the forest. She's pulled close to me, I mean really close, and she has a bright smile on her face. I'm smiling too, but I'm looking down at her. I have an arm draped around her. I grab the picture and put it in my bag.

"Thanks for everything Sting, Rogue. You're truly amazing mages! When I get back to the castle, I want to hear all about the Twin Dragons, you hear me?" I say.

"Yeah, we'll be the best team in all of Fiore!" Sting says cheerfully.

"That's what I want to hear. Show them what it means to be the son of a Dragon!" I respond.

"I will! We'll be the best team in the whole wide world!" Sting shouts.

"Well, it'll be hard to beat the son of the Dragon who takes the throne." Rogue says.

"Who's that?" I ask, confused.

"Pink hair, Fire Dragon Slayer, son of Igneel, you know, you! Natsu Dragneel." Rogue answers.

I remember the last time someone called me King Natsu. It was Gray. Back then I didn't really know what that meant, but now, I know exactly what that entails. They're telling me that I'm going to grow up, marry Lucy, and take the throne as Jude's successor. It doesn't sound that bad though. I wouldn't mind living in the castle with Lucy. We'd have a happy family together, I'm sure, as soon as we get back to the castle.

"Maybe I will. That just means you'll have to work extra hard." I say. I remember that Lucy used to blush whenever someone said King Natsu, but when she heard me agree to it, fully knowing what it meant, I swear her face turned completely red. I was nervous that she would suffer from blood loss in her body because all of it went to her head at once. As a reaction, I just squeeze Lucy's hand. She looks up at me, and I smile.

"You won't have to worry about us! We're the best team in Fiore, and when we get older, we're gonna be just like you! We'll be super powerful, awesome, and have really hot girlfriends!" Sting says dreamily.

"Aye, Natsu is quite lucky for a human. There aren't any talking cats though." Happy adds in.

I can feel Lucy tense once more as the word girlfriend leaves Sting's mouth. As much as I want to tell her that I would want her to be my girlfriend, I don't know if she even likes me back. Who knows, maybe she has someone back at the castle waiting for her. I really hope not, because I couldn't imagine sticking around with her if we weren't the closest people to each other.

"Well, best of luck to the three of you on your journey." Rogue says.

"We're going to make it back super fast! I'm all fired up!" I shout.

"All fired up? Is that a new catchphrase of yours, Natsu?" Sting asks.

"Don't you remember that you made that one up last night?" I respond.

"Umm... Oh! Yeah I remember now!" Sting answers. "You're really going to use a catchphrase that _I_ made?"

"Of course! It sounds really awesome, Sting! And it fits with my magic! I'm all fired up!" I shout.

"Wow, Natsu, that's so awesome!" Sting says.

"Well, you did make the saying up yourself. Anyways, you two keep safe. Here's some money for you guys in case you want to take some days off. I'll miss you guys, and I definitely won't forget you. Remember what I said though, and we Dragon Slayers must stick together!" I explain, pulling some money out of my bag and handing it to Sting.

"Bye Natsu!" Sting says.

"Farewell and good luck." Rogue adds.

With one last wave, I turn around and begin to walk away from Sting and Rogue's house. Those two kids are extremely interesting for their age. They kind of remind me of my younger self, when I was training with Igneel. I remember when I lived so free, and I'm glad that those two were able to meet each other and survive after they lost their dragons. I wonder if their dragons are alive and with Igneel right now. Who knows? I forgot to ask those two about their dragons though, so I'm not really sure what happened to theirs.

Lucy and I walk forward while Happy flies in the air. We walk out of the town, and back onto the path. We've done this so many times that it's become habit. We don't have much of this country left to traverse before we arrive at home. In fact, we'll probably be home in a few short months. Crocus is just on the other side of this giant lake that separates the rest of the country from the capital.

And it's until we arrive in the castle that I have to figure out my feelings with Lucy. I have to make sure everything is figured out _before_ we get back. I don't want Jude to allow others to come in and steal her away from me. This trip has given me plenty of time to think these things through. I'm sure that I'll be able to clear things up in the next few months. That is, if my mind lets me. I'll probably also have to figure out some way to make her like me, if I figure out that I like her. That might be hard though, because we spend every waking moment together.

Love problems are so dang complicated.


	19. Chapter 19: Love Expert 2

**This has officially become my longest story. Hooray! I don't know exactly how long this story is going to be, but it still has a bit more fluffiness to go through. The week is almost over, which has me pretty excited. I'm not going to do anything productive tomorrow. Ah, the sweet promises of tomorrow. Hopefully Natsu gets some soon.**

**Oh and here's a post thought for Dragon's Roar. I kind of wish I made the ex-boyfriend Loke. To any super Loke fans out there, I'm sorry, but I feel like Sting already gets enough hate in this community, and he's not really the character that would do something like that. Loke is a good guy, but he's also a player, so it'd be more expected of him to do something like that. Plus, I like Sting a whole lot more. Sting is pretty cool, and I'll probably never use him in a demeaning manor like I did in Dragon's Roar. (Of course, that's what I said in _The Creator of Two Worlds_, but hey, no big deal).**

**Anyways, I'd like to thank orionXD, BeastlyTick59, Disney lovers 101, Esme Alexis, launi9, bluerainst0rm, and Ice and Thunder for reviewing. **

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><p>Our journey after leaving does not last very long after we left Sting and Rogue. In fact, we end up walking for three weeks in between towns, which is something that we've never done before. Lucy is absolutely exhausted from all of the walking, and even my feet have begun to ache. To little surprise, when we showed up in this town just a few days ago, we weren't planning on leaving anytime soon.<p>

Since we're going to be here for quite a bit of time, Lucy thought it'd be a great idea to...you guessed it... get books. So now, I'm sitting in this bookstore with Lucy, which isn't that bad considering Lucy is there, but I'm still stuck in this bookstore. I can't talk, destroy things, and worst of all I have to hide Happy because "pets" aren't allowed. Happy isn't a pet! He's a friend!

"Natsu, are you sure you don't want to read?" Lucy asks.

"Yes, I'm sure. There's nothing that would entertain me here anyways." I answer.

"I'm sure you could find something about dragons, you know." Lucy suggests.

"Dragons? Really?" I ask, full of doubt.

"Yes. There are lots of them. My dad's library is composed mostly of dragon related books." Lucy says.

"Okay, fine. Come along, Happy." I reply. "Don't wander off, Lucy. And if you get attacked-

"Yell. I know, Natsu. You don't need to tell me _every _time we go in public." Lucy responds.

"I don't want you getting hurt." I reply.

"Yeah, I know if there was trouble, you'd come and save me. The bookstore is a safe place, go find your dragons." Lucy says.

"Alright, alright. Let's go Happy." I say.

"Aye!" Happy responds, before following close behind me. He makes sure not to get seen by anything or anyone, while I look for the section labeled 'D'. I swear if it's not alphabetic, I'm going to burn this library down looking for those dragons.

As I'm passing down the rows of bookcases, I begin to smell a familiar smell. It's definitely not a good one, that's for sure. I remember smelling it before, it was cold and metallic. I just can't put my fingers on it. Keeping my senses alerted, I walk towards the dragon section of the library. Yet I can't get my mind off of this strange smell. It's so ominously familiar.

We walk carefully, closer and closer to the dragons section. For some reason, the closer we get, the stronger the scent becomes. It's almost as if we're going straight towards it. Whatever, "it" might be. Seriously though, what is this strange smell?

Right as I turn the corner to see the dragons section, it hits me. I remember this smell. It was two years ago. The calamity that began the adventure. Gajeel Redfox.

Or at least, what we thought to be Gajeel Redfox based on the description. Still, he almost killed us, and had it not been for Lucy, he might have gotten away with it.

I hide behind the bookcases, waiting for him to pass. I'm not afraid, and I'm sure I could easily kick his ass now that I've trained with Laxus, but fire spreads quickly inside a library. Lucy would definitely fall victim to that fire.

"Ay Salamander! You can come out, I can smell you too." Gajeel says. I forgot that he is also a dragon slayer and could smell us the whole time. Now I feel stupid.

I ready a fighting stance, as if to threaten him. I doubt he cares though, he knows that he would put up a good fight.

"Relax, kid. I'm not here to fight ya. Besides, you're not actually gonna fight me because you got your girlfriend sitting at that desk reading a book. You're a Fire Dragon Slayer, aren't ya? Fire spreads quickly inside a library." Gajeel says.

"Then why are you here?" I reply, relaxing.

"Gajeel! Have you found it?" Levy asks, appearing from behind.

"That's why." Gajeel answers, pointing to Levy.

"Well, have you? And who's this? Oh wait! I know. You're Natsu, right?" Levy says.

"Yeah." I reply.

"No." Gajeel says. "Salamander distracted me."

"You're always getting distracted." Levy replies.

"It's not my fault, shorty." Gajeel says.

"I'm not short!" Levy responds.

"Wait, Levy you're from Fairy Tail right?" I ask.

"Yeah, why?" She replies.

"Well, why is Gajeel with you then?" I ask.

"He was allowed entrance to the guild after the one that attacked, Phantom Lord, was shut down two years ago. The King was livid when he thought that the two of you were dead." Levy says.

"Well, does he know that we're not?" I press on.

"Yeah. Fairy Tail sent him a note a while back. He believes it and he's sent some people out looking for you, but it's hard to tell who is authentic and who's fake, with all of those people trying to hold a princess hostage. You're basically on your own." Levy explains.

"So if you're from Fairy Tail, and Gajeel is from Fairy Tail, why are you all the way out here?" I ask confusedly.

"We're on a job." Levy answers.

"Or your excuse to get another book." Gajeel says bluntly.

"Am not, Gajeel!" Levy complains.

"Jeez, your reaction is always the same, shorty." Gajeel notes.

"So anyways, why are you here Natsu?" Levy asks.

"Lucy." I answer, pointing in her direction.

"Wow, same reason as me. We might have a lot in common, after all." Gajeel says.

"You really don't like libraries?" Levy asks.

"Well... That's not true." I reply.

"So you _do_ like libraries?" Levy inquires.

"Yeah. I think they'd be pretty fun to burn." I answer. I see Levy's face change into one of shock as Gajeel chuckles.

"Shut it Gajeel! It's not funny." Levy commands.

"Eh, I thought it was. He's got the right ideas." Gajeel replies.

"Aye, Lucy's books are rather boring." Happy adds.

"Who are you?" Levy asks.

"Happy the cat! I'm Natsu and Lucy's cat." Happy explains.

"So it's just like a family? How adorable!" Levy says.

"You could say that..." I answer.

"Really?" Levy asks, glancing over at Lucy. "The princess taken? At, what, twelve?"

"I wouldn't say that just yet. I haven't _claimed_ her or anything. She still doesn't know that I think I might love her." I confess.

"You think you might? Well you have to be sure Natsu! You can't just play with a girl's heart like that!" Levy says.

"Well, I'm not really sure what love is, to be honest. I think I do, but I've never experienced it, so I don't know for sure." I reply.

"I need to teach you then. It's clear that Lucy has taken an interest into you." Levy says.

"No, there's no way. Like I said, I haven't told her yet. How is she supposed to know that I love her?" I ask.

"Well, for one she's reading a book about the behavior of Dragon Slayers. Did you notice that? And secondly, you need to figure out yourself if you love her." Levy explains.

"Well, show me." I demand.

"I'll be eating something, if you need me." Gajeel says while departing. "Be back in a bit."

"Aye, can I go with?" Happy asks.

"Eh, why not?" Gajeel answers. "Just don't steal the iron."

Gajeel and Happy walk away, and I'm left with just Levy. I hope Lucy doesn't see us like this, that would be pretty odd. I don't want her getting any ideas. And I can tell that Levy is probably going to be Gajeel's mate, if not already.

"Okay, so you have to examine the facts." Levy begins. "First of all, do you feel any little bit odd around her?"

"Yeah, I get a little flustered sometimes, often overreacting when she compliments me. Making her happy is a whole lot more important to me than making anyone else happy. She makes me happy." I explain.

"Okay, that seems good. How about possessiveness? Do you want to keep her away from other guys?" Levy asks.

"Obviously, then she's spend less time with me. And that's the last thing that I'd want. Plus, that would mean that one day we wouldn't be as close as we are now, and someone else would mean more to her than me." I answer.

"Good, good. Have you dreamed about her ever?" Levy asks.

"Uh... What kinda question is that?" I ask. She gives me the look that indicates that I better answer or else I'm not getting help. "Fine! If it really concerns you so much, yes, I have! Does that make you feel better?" I say, slightly annoyed.

"Yes, yes. Now what do you plan on doing when you get back to the castle?" She asks.

"Living with Lucy and Happy. What else would I do?" I answer.

"You wouldn't mind if any suitor would show up, would you?" Levy asks.

"I'd kick all of their asses, that's what I'd do! And every one of them would burn in the fires of hell before they lay a finger on Lucy!" I declare boldly.

"Natsu, do you plan on spending the rest of your life with Lucy?" Levy asks.

"Well, I haven't really thought beyond living with Lucy, so yeah." I reply.

"Oh Natsu, you're definitely in love." Levy says.

"Really? How do I tell her? What if she doesn't feel the same?" I ask nervously.

"She'll definitely feel the same. Remember the book she's reading. Dragon Slayers, Natsu. Dragon Slayers. She obviously is taking some interest in you." Levy explains.

"I've met four Dragon Slayers including Gajeel, how do I know it's me?" I ask, full of doubt.

"Look at the cover image. It has fire on the bottom. The book is red. It's obviously Fire Dragon Slayer related." Levy explains.

"Then how come I didn't notice?" I ask.

"Well, you probably didn't care too much about books, just like Gajeel doesn't notice when I read books about Iron Dragon Slayers." Levy says.

"Ohhh, so you do like Gajeel. I figured you were something." I say.

"Forget I said that. Anyways, you should probably go back to Lucy, she might think you went missing." Levy suggests.

"Sure thing." I agree.

The walk back to Lucy gets me thinking pretty deeply. She sounded so confident when she told me that I was in love with Lucy. I don't doubt it anymore, but I don't really know how to act. Should I confess to her, or wait it out and see if I still love her? Levy thinks that she loves me, but how can she be so sure? Is it really romance, what I'm getting myself into? I don't even know the first things about romance still. All I know is that I'm a guy in love with a girl who probably dreams of a Prince Charming. To hell with it though, a Fire Dragon Slayer is much better!

"Hey Lucy." I greet Lucy, as I return from the dragon section of the library.

"Hi Natsu." Lucy replies, putting the book down and looking at me. "Where's Happy?"

"Oh, no big deal, he's off with Gajeel." I explain.

"Oh okay- WAIT WHAT?" Lucy says, practically shouting.

"Shhhhh, Lucy. It's okay, Gajeel is pretty cool now." I tell her.

"He's the one that almost had you killed, and you're placing your trust into him?!" Lucy asks.

"Yes, I am. He's with Fairy Tail now, and I don't think Fairy Tail would ever do something like that." I reason.

"Is he the only Fairy Tail member here?" Lucy asks curiously.

"Nope. Levy is here too." I say.

"I might go talk to her. She has a love for books." Lucy explains.

"..and Gajeel." I add.

"What!?" Lucy asks, full of surprise. "This is so weird. Those two don't seem like the ideal partners, though I guess opposites do indeed attract."

"Probably. Opposites and stuff, you know? They'll be fine." I say.

"Yeah, I guess they will. Anyways, did you find a book?" Lucy asks, changing the subject.

"No, I wanted to see if you would read that one to me." I say, pointing at the book that Lucy was reading. "I couldn't help but notice that the book you were reading was about Fire Dragon Slayers. That's exactly the book I want to read."

"W-What?! No it's not!" Lucy denies.

"Aww come on Lucy, it's just a book. Why can't you share it with me?" I ask.

"Because I don't know what you're talking about. I'm not reading any Dragon Slayer books!" She exclaims.

"Then what is that?" I ask pointing the red book.

"Nothing!" She answers, hiding the book out of my field of vision.

"At least tell me the name, so I can get it later if I want to." I plead.

"Like I'd do that." Lucy says.

"What's so bad about this book anyways that you won't show it to me?" I ask.

"It's embarrassing!" She replies.

"How so?" I ask.

"Can we just drop it?" Lucy asks.

"I want to know. It's not everyday that I'm interested in a book." I say.

"Really?" She asks.

"Really." I answer.

"Please, Natsu. Why does this matter so much?" She asks.

"I'm curious." I reply.

"Fine. It's about Dragon Slayers." She says.

"I know that, but what about them?" I ask curiously.

"Fire... Dragon Slayers." She adds.

"Really? I want to see it so badly!" I say excitedly.

"No!" She refuses.

"But Lucy..." I plead.

"If you stop asking, I'll umm..." She says.

"Give me the book?" I ask.

"No! No is final, Natsu! No book, not today, not tomorrow, never!" Lucy shouts, flustered and frustrated.

I feel a pang of guilt flow through me. Normally, if anyone else shouted at me, I'd be really tempted to punch them straight in the face and tell them never to mess with me again. Yet, with Lucy it's very different. I wouldn't have punched her before I discovered my feelings, but now that I have, I want to apologize really badly. So much so that I can't think of anything until I do.

"Sorry Lucy." I apologize. "I didn't want to make you angry, I just thought you might be reading something cool."

"It's okay Natsu. I shouldn't have shouted at you. I should be apologizing." She responds.

"Do you wanna go see Levy and Gajeel?" I ask.

"Sure, let's go. Have they changed much?" Lucy asks.

"Aside from Gajeel being on our side, not at all." I answer.

"That's good. I don't know if I'd want those two to change, if they are both friendly." Lucy says.

Lucy and walk towards the table where Gajeel and Levy are. Happy is sitting on a book tower that he, and probably Gajeel, made out of Levy's books. It's a pretty big tower, and pretty intricate too. If just one book were to be removed, I bet the whole structure would come toppling down. Together though, the books seem to be strong enough to hold Happy in place, while he rests on the uppermost book.

I wonder just how long those two will be discussing books for. Even back in the days of the castle, Lucy used to talk to me all about different kinds of books. Though her Dragon Slayer book might be a little different, since she seemed embarrassed to tell me about it. Either way, we'll probably be here a few more hours. Which means some more quality bonding time with Gajeel. Oh joy.

Who am I kidding? A food eating contest, fighting, and other competitions ensue. All we have to do is burn down this library. I don't think that would be too hard, now would it? I just have to stick my hands in one of those books, and boom! The whole place is set ablaze. The joys of a library, right?

Now the only problem, is getting away. How would I do that? On top of that, Lucy would probably be mad for a long time, so maybe I shouldn't burn the library. I really don't want to make Lucy mad.


	20. Chapter 20: Eavesdropping!

**Wow, first time hitting 20 chapters! That's new, along with hitting 60k words.**

**Well, for the longest time, I've wanted to put somewhere that Gajeel would become a good guy again. Honestly, I think he's a pretty cool character, so he deserves some niceness. And I just found out niceness is a word. Yeah, Gajeel deserves his niceness!**

**Thanks Disney lovers 101, Esme Alexis, Ice and Thunder for reviewing.**

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><p>I found out that I'm actually just as strong as Gajeel. We left the library for a little while because Lucy and Levy were going into so much detail about some stupid book. I don't know how they could have been that excited by some pieces of paper with words on them. The only books that would really ever interest me are ones on monsters that I can attack, or dragons and Dragon Slayers. Anything else is stupid.<p>

You know what would make a great book? A book about me, of course. There's no one more interesting than me, Natsu, son of Igneel! My life is so amazingly important and awesome. I don't think that anything could ever make a better book than a book about me. Someone should pay me for my brilliant idea. I just know a book about me would be one of the few books worth reading. It'd have monsters, dragons, and Dragon Slayers!

Other than that, books really aren't all that important. I think that you learn more by experience, if that's what you're going for. It's kind of like when I fight. When I started fighting Gajeel, he was getting more hits on me in the beginning, but I simply learned his fighting style and created one that opposed his. It's not that hard to come up with something that can fight back with. You can't learn how to fight back against Gajeel by reading a book. Even if you could, it'd take so much longer than it would to just learn how the guy fights by experience. The same can be applied to almost everything else, so why would someone read to gain knowledge?

Some people read for adventure. We have adventure, so I don't know why Lucy would want that. Mystery, well, we don't have a whole lot of mystery, but maybe one day we will. Romance is something that I could easily give her. All she has to do is ask. It's not like we don't have a good romantic story built into our lives anyway. We've been alone, together, for two years. How could anything ever work out better for a romance?

The fact is that there is nothing that can work out better for a romance, than Lucy and I. Now that I know that, I'll apply it. Yet, I still want some time to figure everything out. It's not everyday you realize you're in love with someone. It's also not everyday that you realize that you're in love with someone who is the future queen of the kingdom. Good luck me.

And Gajeel apparently knows all about it too. Levy just had to go and mouth of to him, didn't she? Like my love interests are everybody's to hear! I do have some privacy, you know. What if Lucy were to find out? That would be really bad! I can't let that happen, but if Levy does spill, I'll be pissed. Maybe then I'll spill about her crush on Gajeel, because even I, the dense Dragon Slayer, know that Levy has a crush on Gajeel. It doesn't take a genius to figure that one out.

Anyways, Gajeel and I had to stop fighting, because apparently the town didn't want a crater behind the library. I don't know why the heck it matters since there's nobody back here to begin with. It's not like anyone would ever see it! Still, we're not allowed to fight anymore, so we walk inside, hoping to find the girls.

Or at least, that's what we hope for, until Gajeel comes up with a truly wicked plan.

"Yo, Salamander, do you hear that?" He asks me.

"What?" I reply.

"The girls' conversation?" He answers.

"Oh." I say, before I begin to pay attention to their conversation. "Yeah, I hear it."

"It's pretty fucking hilarious." Gajeel says, laughing. "We should hide behind some bookshelves and listen."

"No way! I don't want to listen to that shit! They're just talking about me." I reply.

"Just come with me. You don't have a choice." Gajeel threatens, before pulling me behind a bookshelf. I guess I don't have a choice anymore.

I look over to Gajeel, who is barely able to keep his laughter in while those two talk about me. My pride is seriously being hurt right now. I decide to listen into the conversation and hear what's going on. It's a good thing they can't hear Gajeel or me right now.

"Do you really sleep in the same bed as Natsu?" Levy asks curiously.

"Y-yeah, who told you?" Lucy replies. _Another laugh from Gajeel._ Well, you know what, I'll take all the shit for this one, I really do enjoy this.

"Happy." Levy answers.

"And he really carries you when you're tired?" Levy asks.

"Umm, yeah." Lucy answers. _Another laugh from Gajeel._ Was that one even funny?

"Shut up Gajeel!" I hiss. "It's called proper etiquette."

"Yeah yeah, Salamander. Ain't my fault you're such a softy." Gajeel replies.

"Oh yeah, you won't be calling me a softy after I kick your ass!" I challenge.

"Shut up, I'm trying to listen. Besides, you'd burn the library you idiot!" Gajeel says. Deciding that this conversation might be important, I shut up and listen.

"And he always asks if something is okay?" Levy asks.

"Well, not always, but most of the time." Lucy answers. Gajeel looks at me and mimics the motion of striking a whip. I just roll my eyes. Did those two have to talk about this, now of all times? Do they have no care for my pride?

"Does he ever make fun of you, use some sort of nickname?" Levy asks.

"No, but are these questions really necessary? Just because Natsu is really nice to me doesn't mean you can ask all these questions." Lucy answers. Gajeel looks at me like I'm some kind of alien after this one. I know exactly what he's trying to say. _You never pick on her?_ And well, maybe I do, maybe I don't. Lucy wasn't entirely being honest in her reply, because sometimes I joke around with her. Sometimes I'll pick on her for being a slow walker, or eating a lot.

Of course, I make sure to joke around with the right things, I've never once said anything about her mother. Happy knows not to as well. I remember the first time he tried to say something about her mother, Lucy was crying for the rest of the day. I didn't get mad at Happy because Happy didn't know better, but still Lucy was hurt. Lucy's crying face hurts more than staring at the face of Death itself.

"Just wondering. You know, Gajeel is kind of the opposite of Natsu. I think he could take some lessons from Natsu." Levy suggests.

"How so?" Lucy asks curiously.

"Well, for one, Gajeel makes me walk everywhere, he doesn't ever ask my permission for anything at all, and he is always teasing me in some form or another. I don't know what's up with him, but he always feels the urge to mock me, especially about my height." Levy explains.

I look over to Gajeel who looks frustrated. I should definitely be picking on him right now, but after hearing that, he's probably angry enough that his mate thinks of him so lowly. Jeez, what a hypocrite.

"Oh. Though Gajeel is your teammate, right?" Lucy asks.

"Yeah, why?" Levy replies.

"I don't know. I don't want to make it sound like Natsu doesn't care about me, but sometimes I wonder if he's only doing this for the job. After all, my dad would easily give him a raise if he brought me home. There's no doubt about that. Natsu also is nice pretty much all the time. Being raised by a dragon, and what I've read about them, Natsu wouldn't really act so nicely towards me if it weren't for this job. I really don't think it's the job, but sometimes I get a little scared that he doesn't actually do this out of the kindness of his heart. Or maybe he does, but it's just because he agreed to as the job. I don't know if you follow what I'm saying." Lucy explains.

"I wouldn't expect Natsu to do that. You guys have been traveling for a while now. You've scaled mountains, passed valleys, crossed rivers and lakes, and so much more. Natsu has to be in it more for the job. I don't think that anyone would do that much for a boss, especially when it's much easier just to leave them and go do something on your own." Levy says.

I sigh out a deep breath after Levy finishes her sentence. I'm saddened by the thought that Lucy has the slight consideration that I'm not doing this trip for her. I've told her several times, haven't I? Maybe I wasn't clear in distinguishing her from the job itself. She probably thinks that by getting her home, I mean that I'm completing my job. There's no way I'd look at this adventure like that. The only reason why I'm hanging with Lucy is being I want to be with Lucy. If I didn't, I would have bailed back in Hargeon and gone with Laxus. But Lucy takes precedence over Laxus, so Lucy wins.

"Yeah. It's kind of stupid for me to think that. After all, Natsu has told me that he's on the journey for me. Yet sometimes I worry that he's on the journey just to complete the job. I'm probably being stupid for thinking that there's even the slightest chance that Natsu would do something like that. But I always get paranoid, you know? It's hard when he and Happy are the only two people I spend a significant amount of time with." Lucy explains.

"Yeah, it is pretty stupid to think that. I don't know Natsu well, but if he's been with you for two years, he's going to be with you for a long, long time." Levy says.

"I hope he stays for a long time. It'd suck if he quit once he got back to the castle. I've never had a bodyguard as good as Natsu. The rest of them have been older since they were the only ones who had magic to qualify as a protector of the princess. Thanks to my dad, I got Natsu back when I took him off the streets." Lucy explains.

"You took him off the streets?" Levy asks.

"Yeah, he had just lost his foster father, Igneel. I don't know why, but Igneel left him on July 7, X777. I don't understand all of the sevens, but maybe it means something. Anyways, he was about to be caught stealing a melon, and I thought it was adorable when I saw him run into the castle fence's walls. From that point on, I had to take him in." Lucy explains.

After laughing about the running into the walls part, Gajeel looks over at me rather seriously.

"So your dragon disappeared on the 7th day of the 7th month of the 777th year?" Gajeel asks.

"Yeah, why, did yours too?" I reply.

"Yes. Stupid lying son of a bitch. He said he'd teach me everything I needed to know. He lied though, because I still don't know how to use everything, like Dragon Force." Gajeel complains.

"I was hoping that I'd find Igneel somewhere along this journey. I mean, I'm only going from one corner of the country to another. I feel like I'd have a pretty good chance of finding the guy." I explain.

"Eh, to hell with the dragons. If they don't want us, I don't want them. Until they rear their ugly heads in, I'm not gonna go looking for them." Gajeel says.

"Suit yourself." I respond. "I'm gonna keep looking. I want to find Igneel."

"Why though? Isn't that pointless? What if he just leaves again?" Gajeel asks.

"Then I'll look for him, again." I reply.

"You're insane, dude." He says.

"A little, but I'm doing my best to get by." I admit.

"I don't think that these dragons want to see us. Otherwise they would have ran away from us. They didn't, so they must not want to see us. It's not that hard to grasp." Gajeel explains.

"I don't care if he doesn't want to see me again. I want to see him." I reply.

"Okay, just don't cry to me when he just leaves you again." Gajeel says.

Ignoring him, I stare at the ground. I don't really pay attention to much, but instead I stare at the carpet. I don't really care about carpet, or carpet pattern, but I'm trying to focus on something because I don't really want to listen to Gajeel give me bad ideas about Igneel. Certainly Igneel didn't leave because he wanted to, right? There has to be a reason.

"So you two were hiding out in the romance section? Never took you to be interested in that stuff, but you're already both a bunch of weirdos." Levy says, shocking both of us. How come I didn't hear her approach sooner? Probably Gajeel.

"Like you're one to talk shorty." Gajeel replies.

"I said for you to stop calling me that!" Levy replies.

"It's the truth." Gajeel says.

"Shut up! No it's not!" Levy shouts.

"Shh, Levy this isn't a place for shouting. Anyways, we were wondering if you two wanted to join us. We were actually headed to the romance section to pick out a book to read." Lucy explains.

"Sure, I guess." I answer. Gajeel gives me a look implying that I'm some kind of traitor. He knows exactly what we're going to do: Nothing. Sit around and do nothing while those two read books.

"Great! Well you can go sit at the table we were at. We'll be back shortly." Lucy says.

Gajeel and I walk towards the table. It seems he has some sense of discipline too.

"So why'd you sign us up for this, Salamander?" He asks.

"I signed myself up. I don't know why you're here too." I answer.

"Believe me, I wouldn't be if I had the choice. But Levy is going to get mad when she sees you and Lucy together, but me sitting away from her." Gajeel explains.

"Yeah, well reading isn't my favorite thing either. We'll just have to suck it up until we leave." I say.

Sitting down at the table, the two of us make ourselves as comfortable as possible. After all, this is going to be a long couple of hours. Especially since it's romance, and romance is never fun. Ever. Unless maybe it's in real life and I'm a part of it with Lucy. That might be fun.

A few minutes later, Lucy comes back with a book about some stupid red string. I heard it was called the Red String of Fate or something. I don't really know how a red string has anything to do with romance. They're two completely different things - love and string.

After an hour or so of Lucy reading with Levy, the two exchange some goodbyes. They were long and drawn out, with some hugging and stuff. I simply assumed it was them being overly dramatic. I wave off to Gajeel and tell him not to get weak because I'm going to kick his ass next time I see him. He just smirks, and the two leave the store together. They're definitely going to be a couple one day. Even if neither will admit it.

We found Happy underneath the table in one of the chairs, fast asleep. I guess the books were too boring for him as well. I pick up Happy, and we walk back to our inn for the night. We're heading out tomorrow, so that's it for this town.

Happy wakes up in the middle of the walk back, and Lucy seems to take notice of it really quickly. I find out when she asks a question.

"Happy, did you have to tell Levy all of those things?" She asks.

"What things?" I ask, playing dumb.

"Aye! It was about how Natsu _loooooves_ Lucy." Happy says. Lucy blushes deeply, and I don't really know how to respond to that, so I shrug it off.

"You didn't have to tell her that we sleep in the same bed!" Lucy says.

"Yeah, but people who love each other do." Happy replies.

"Shut it, stupid cat!" Lucy shouts, blushing wildly.

"Aye, someone is in a foul mood today." Happy notes.

"So, was that all Happy said?" I ask, playing dumb once more.

"No, that's not all. Happy said that you're always really nice to me, and that you listen to me a lot." Lucy explains.

"Well of course I am. I'm nice to you because I care about you. There's not a job in the world that could make me care for someone, you know that, right? I only care about people who mean a lot to me, Lucy. You and I are close, so you're someone I care about a whole lot. You're up there with Igneel in importance, you know that? So don't ever worry as to why I'd ever be nice to you. I care about you and you mean a whole lot more to me than you can imagine." I explain.

"Really?" She asks, full of happiness.

"Yes." I reply.

"Aye, because Natsu totally _looooves_ you!" Happy chimes in.


	21. Chapter 21: Blizzards can Hospitalize!

**Oh the love is most definitely in the air. As well as some other things, but hopefully love. Who knows what is in store for these adventurers? I do. And you will soon. I'm hoping that this chapter goes out an earlier hour. I'd like to say that at least once I did something AFTER the chapter was posted besides sleep. Usually I'm up late and this is the last thing I do. Hopefully not today.**

**I've got so many ideas for the next story, yet so many are missing. Things are confusing, but I don't have to worry. There is so much time until this story ends, I think. I'm not sure though, we'll find out as we go. Eternal mystery as they say. Please do not let this reflect my intelligence, I'm smarter than these paragraphs suggest.**

**And wow, we're so close 100! Thanks a lot to all of you!**

**Thanks to Disney lovers 101, Ice and Thunder, bluerainst0rm, the guest, IndieScent, and Esme Alexis for reviewing.**

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><p>After we left Levy and Gajeel, we didn't run into many familiar faces for a while. I'm pretty grateful for that, since I still had a lot on my mind. Every time someone new showed up, they always left me confused about where I stand on certain issues, especially love. While I admire their attempt to help, it really does confuse me a lot. I'm still deep in thought about Lucy.<p>

I know for a fact that I'm in love with her. How do I know that she loves me back? Is there some kind of sign, or hint? It's so confusing. I know that I don't want to tell her if I know she doesn't love me back. It'd just make things worse, so I need to be careful. Yet it's this carefulness which is making so frustrated. Why can't love be simpler? I'd love to just know who my mate was _before_ I went through all of this shit.

There's a strong hint that Lucy is my mate, however. I never really noticed beauty in anyone else, and Igneel always told me that my mate would catch me by surprise. Sure enough, Lucy did exactly that. I can't think of any other girl that has ever caught me by surprise or any other girl that I've fallen in love with. It's just Lucy.

Of course, we weren't just sitting around. For three months, we continued on our way home. Well, we spent most of those three months on our way home. Some crazy things happened, and we weren't entirely sure what to make of it. We still have a little bit left to go, but most of it is done. There's not a lot of the adventure left. The castle is so close, and Lucy is so excited.

Yet, we can't overlook those three months like nothing ever happened. It was full of happenings, and new things would arise as older ones settled. It was a crazy time, and I'm glad that we managed to survive it.

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><p>The first thing that happened was when we reached our first mountain since before meeting Happy. We had already walked about 2 months of our journey. Our journey had actually been delayed by several months because of previous mountain chains we had to cross. Unfortunately, there wasn't anything at all that we could have done about it. So instead, we decided that we might as well tough it out.<p>

It wasn't a surprise that we made the same decision here. We were strongly influenced by Happy's flying ability, which we thought would be extremely useful to the benefit of the group. Whenever we used to come upon steep ledges that were not easily climbable, we'd try to find a way around, which would take so much longer. To our good fortune, Happy has wings and can fly us over these cliffs. Using him, I was sure we could cross these mountains in a fraction of the time it took us to cross the previous mountain.

Happy told us that it wouldn't be a problem to carry Lucy up these edges, since I'm much more acrobatically enabled than her. Happy managed to get her above several cliffs, but something that I didn't notice was that he was shivering. Apparently, his breed of cat, whatever it is, is not supposed to get cold. Happy later told me that it was because he was still a kitten that it didn't work out exactly how he wanted, even if he was a full size cat.

On one cliff, the cold became too much for Happy, and while carry Lucy over a cliff, his paws slipped and Lucy fell. She would have most likely been injured had I not caught her before she hit the ground. With a reassuring smile, I told her that everything was okay. Yet I failed to pick up one of the most important problems at this altitude: body temperature.

I should have known with Happy what exactly I was getting into. Happy was cold, and so he laid down on my head to keep warm. Yet Lucy never indicated she was cold. Sure, I asked her a few times, but she never said that she was cold. She didn't want to hold me back, and I should have known she was hiding it with that personality that she had.

After Happy had long fallen asleep clung to my head, Lucy and I were walking through a snowstorm. There wasn't much in the way of shelter, and I was worried for Lucy's sake. The last time she had a thick coat was when we crossed the previous mountain, which was a year or two ago. We hadn't thought to buy a new one since there was no need for one, so we continued on without one. So Lucy must have been absolutely freezing in this weather.

I blame myself entirely for letting this go unnoticed. It wasn't until she sneezed that I picked up on the fact that she's probably going to get sick. Immediately stopping in my tracks, I run back to keep her warm. When I hug her, I picked up on the fact that the temperature on her skin is much colder than usual.

"You should have told me you were cold." I told her.

"S-sorry." Lucy apologized, her voice giving away that she was cold.

"You can't do this to yourself, Lucy. You could die if you don't get warmer." I said.

"I w-won't. S-sorry, Natsu." She responded.

"Let's go look for somewhere to sleep. I don't think this snowstorm is passing through anytime soon." I instructed.

"O-ok." She says.

Our walking pace is reduced severely since I have to keep her close to my body. She was pressed right up against me, with no room for anything between. She needs to stay as warm as possible or else I might not be able to keep her alive. Her temperatures felt dangerously low. It was definitely not something I'd ever be smiling about.

For twenty minutes, we continued looking around the side of the mountain, until we found an under hang that the wind was not blowing into. The entryway to the under hang was considerably small, so exposure to the snow and wind is basically nonexistent. Of course, temperature was still a major concern.

I sat down against the wall. Lucy tried to sit down next to me, but I refused. I put her on top of my lap, facing me.

"N-Natsu!" She shrieked.

"You'll thank me later." I replied.

"This is so awkward! Let me go!" She demanded.

"No, not unless you want to die. I'm doing this to keep you alive, Lucy." I answered.

"Oh." She responded. "Sorry."

"It's okay. Just don't do that again. You have me so worried about your health right now." I said.

"But I didn't want to hold you back..." She said.

"I don't care if you hold me back a hundred and one years. I don't want you to die on me Lucy, understand? I would never sacrifice you for anything." I replied.

"I'm glad I have you, Natsu." She said, making my heart race.

"I'm glad I have you, Lucy." I replied.

Despite how intimate this position could be described, I really didn't care. I knew that I love her, and I wouldn't have ever minded being with her like I was then.

She fell asleep very quickly. I stayed awake a little longer to make sure that her entire body was of a healthy temperature before I too fell asleep.

When we woke up, there was no longer a snowstorm raging outside. Lucy was still warm.

"Wow, that was a great night's sleep." Lucy said.

"Yeah, for you at least. Those rocks really hurt my back." I complained.

"Are you okay?" Lucy asked.

"Of course I am." I replied. "Let's get going. I want to get to a town rather quickly. The sooner we're off this mountain, the better."

They agreed with my decision, and began to move as quickly as we could down the mountain. Of course, I still had to make sure that Lucy was warm so that she wouldn't get sick.

The travel on the second day was not nearly as bad. For whatever reason, we lucked out and had little difficulty getting off the mountain. Though there had been quite a bit of snow to traverse, and some steep cliffs to go down, we had gotten past the worst of it. And best of all, there was a sign that indicated the next town being a mere 3 miles away.

Since it was already pretty late at night, just after sunset, we decided that we'd sleep outside before going to the town. We wanted as much time as we could get to enjoy any form of civilization before we had to leave once more.

Deciding not to stick it out and keep walking was probably the biggest mistake I made all journey long. For starters, the temperature dropped 20 degrees that night (Fahrenheit) and we were out in a cold field. With nothing to protect us from the harsh change in temperature, we all experienced the effects of it. When I woke up the next morning, I saw Lucy's body shivering. She was dangerously cold.

Responding with my instincts, I quickly grabbed her in a strong embrace. I heated my body to higher temperatures than I had ever done before. I could even see fire coming off my body as I tried to warm Lucy up. Thankfully, she wasn't hurt by the fire, but her body was still in critical condition.

I adjusted her in my arms so that I could run, and I woke up Happy, who had kept warm by lying on top of me. I ran as fast as I could to the town. I couldn't even begin to think of what my life would be without Lucy. She was the reason that I had a place to call home after Igneel left. She was the reason that I'm not a criminal of the land. She's the reason that I met so many of these wonderful people on my journey. She's the reason that I discovered the meaning of love.

And I knew fully in that moment, while I carried her seemingly lifeless body to the town that I loved her to the point where I could tell her and still be happy if she didn't love me back. I knew that I needed her more than anyone else. I was able to cope with Igneel leaving, but I don't ever think I could cope with Lucy dying. No, not in a million years.

I pushed my body as hard as I could. With the town in sight, I ran as fast as my body would take me. I scanned the streets for the town's infirmary. I stopped once I found it and brought Lucy inside.

I shouted for help, and several people rushed over to get Lucy to whatever medical attention she needed. They put her in a bed, and wheeled her to an empty room. They took quick observations of her pulse and other small signs of life. From the looks of it, she was definitely alive. I wished that I could have helped her get better. This was all my fault that she was sick.

"We need a fire mage!" One of the doctors shouted.

"I'm a fire mage!" I replied, desperately hoping to be of some use to Lucy.

I walked over towards the doctor. He pointed right over Lucy's heart and told me, "Apply heat directly over the heart. If there's any chance for her to live, it needs to be a strong burst of heat. Her body has frozen itself in place from the cold temperatures she was exposed to."

I did as I was told, and after several minutes of warming Lucy, she slowly opened her eyes. Elation coursed through my veins. Signs of her recovery were well underway.

"I... feel sick." Lucy mumbled out. She looked sick, but she was alive. And whatever sickness there was, I'd make sure she'd conquer. As long as she was alive, everything would be okay.

"She has a really bad fever." One of the doctors said, "She's going to be in the hospital for weeks. If you could, we'd like if you'd register her here."

"Sure." I replied. "Just give me a moment. Is she in any critical condition of dying?"

"No. If we treat her properly, her disease should pass in a few weeks. Whatever made her temperature decrease so much is something you should definitely avoid in the future." The doctor informed us.

"Understood. I'll be out in a few minutes." I said. Respecting my wishes, all of the workers left the room.

"Natsu, where are we?" Lucy asked with a sick voice. The sound of her voice tainted by sickness was unbearable.

"The hospital Lucy. And it's all my fault. I should have known that it was still too dangerous to leave you outside in the cold. I should have kept you closer. It's my fault Lucy that you're sick in the hospital. I almost let you die from my stupid carelessness. How could I do something so horrible?" I asked.

"Shh... Natsu, it's not your fault. You didn't know that it was going to be cold that night. It was bad luck." Lucy responded.

"Yeah, but I'll be damned if bad luck alone takes you out of my life. I was so scared Lucy. I was so scared. I ran to the hospital as fast as I could. Did you know that I forgot my shoes? They're still back where we slept last night. I don't even have my shoes, Lucy." I said.

"You might want to go get those shoes." Lucy suggested with a laugh.

"Yeah, I will. I just wanted to make sure you were safe, that's all." I said.

"I'm always safe with you, Natsu." Lucy replies.

"I hope you do. After all, I might as well be useful if I'm going to be with you forever." I joked.

"You really do mean forever, right Natsu?" She asked.

"Of course. I wouldn't leave you for anything." I told her.

"Good, because I don't want you out of my life." She replied.

"Well, I'm going to have you checked into the hospital. You just get some rest, okay?" I suggested.

"Okay." She replied. "Come back soon, it'll get lonely in here."

"As soon as possible, Lucy." I said.

I left the room and walked down towards the front desk of the hospital. When I reached the front desk, I asked for a card. I received one, and filled out the information. I didn't know everything, but I got most of the stuff. When I went up to ask the lady if I had filled it out right, she stared at the paper before going wide-eyed.

"Mister, you said the patient is Lucy Heartfilia?" She asked.

"Yes. And I'm Natsu Dragneel, her bodyguard." I answered.

"Is she the daughter of Jude and Layla Heartfilia?" She asked.

"Yes, she is." I replied.

"We have to notify the castle immediately!" She declared, before getting up and leaving.

I didn't know at the time that they were contacting Jude Heartfilia to tell him that Lucy and I were at this hospital.

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><p>The last three weeks of the journey were definitely the toughest, and I'm glad that they're over. Even though we aren't adventuring anymore, I still get to spend a lot of time around Lucy. Our story isn't quite over yet. We still have all of our lives to live out together.<p>

And so now, at this present moment, I'm with Jude Heartfilia, the King of Fiore, in this hospital, waiting for Lucy to heal. She's almost ready to leave the hospital, fully recovered, but the doctors want us to wait until there is absolutely no trace of the disease left. We're sitting in Lucy's room right now. Tomorrow, we head home for the castle.

"Oh Natsu, it's still so amazing to see the two of you again. I thought I never would see the day again." Jude says.

"Don't worry, I would never have let that happen. I'm sorry that Lucy ended up in the hospital like this." I apologize, staring at the shoes which I did recover a few days ago.

"It's alright, we all make mistakes. I'm just glad that you're both okay. Layla would have killed me if I didn't get you two home safely." Jude responds.

"Dad you've gotten so soft over the years. Where's the guy who would get mad if we skipped our tutoring sessions?" Lucy asks.

"Still here! You haven't escaped those you know!" Jude jokes.

"Aww, but Natsu and I learned so much throughout our adventures." Lucy complains.

"Yeah, well if you want to learn how to rule the kingdom, you'll have study." Jude explains, before mumbling something I wouldn't have heard had I not had my dragon hearing, "...especially you, Natsu. Take care of Lucy."

"I just can't wait to be home. It's been a long time." I say.

"Yeah, it sure has." Lucy agrees.


	22. Chapter 22: Return of the Festivities!

**No, the story isn't about to end, so don't you worry! I'm still here! It's nearing completion, but that wasn't the last chapter, and neither is this one. After all, the two still haven't confessed. I plan on getting a few more in before I call it quits. At least to 25, I hope.**

**Is Natsu ever going to meet Igneel? Your answer is as good as mine. To be perfectly honest, I haven't really decided on this. Originally, I thought that I might as well have him appear on the way home, but I had second thoughts (honestly, I have had second thoughts on the whole story idea. It was never meant to be more than fifteen chapters, but here we are on 22). I think I'll incorporate him in somehow, whether or not Natsu meets him is up to my spontaneity.**

**Yes, sleep is important. Don't you worry though, I'm starting this one at the unspeakably early time of 5:14 P.M.! (Actually I typed A.M. first because I'm so used to writing these in the A.M. times... How terrible)**

**Thanks to launi9, Esme Alexis, Disney lovers 101, Sawakaze-Steph16, 12Redsky34, Ice and Thunder, and BeastlyTick59.**

**Here is the next chapter Aye Sir! (Shameless thievery, I know... Hate me in the reviews).**

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><p>As soon as Lucy is clear to leave the hospital, we depart for home. It's been such a long time and Jude is really excited to have us home. I have never seen him so happy before. It's unlike Jude to act the way he is right now. I swear he's just like a kid in a candy store, he's so happy.<p>

Of course, he also took no risks getting us home either. He has the best crew sail us back across the lake on the way home to Crocus, Royal Guard defending the carriages that are bringing us home, and he closed several of the roads on specific dates so nothing delays our return. Honestly, he may have gone overboard, but who am I to challenge the King?

I don't really mind all of the fancy treatment, although I'd still prefer to be fighting mages or something. I'll definitely miss the seriousness that I get from fighting real enemies as opposed to training with the Guard.

Though the castle does mean free food. Food is the next greatest thing to family and dragons. Honestly, if it weren't for the food, family, and the training, the castle wouldn't be super appealing. The castle is great, maybe I can invite some of the people we met along the way for some sort of brawl. That would be the greatest thing.

When we arrive in Crocus, there is a crowd greeting us. Without our knowledge, Jude had planned a celebration for the return of me and Lucy. I would imagine that everyone would be excited to see their princess once more after two years of nothing. The crowds suggested so, because there were thousands and thousands of people lined along the sides of streets, on balconies, watching out of windows, and even sitting on roofs. It just seems like everyone really wanted to see Lucy return.

Jude insists that I walk next to Lucy, even though I feel out of place. Honestly, I don't love praise so much, especially when I don't deserve all of it. Standing in front of the crowd makes it seem like I did all of the work, yet there were countless numbers of people who helped us along the way. I don't know what I would have done had it not been for them.

Yet Jude insists. Who am I to go against the King?

Did I mention that Happy is also here? He's sitting on my left shoulder, waving off to the crowd. Even though he's not flying, he has his wings extended into a full wingspan. It's the first time that a cat like that has ever shown up in Crocus. I'm surprised to see the reactions of everyone. They're mostly of jealousy, because who wouldn't want Happy as a friend?

Jude has met Happy, and it seems as though Jude is fond of Happy. I wonder if Jude ever dreamed of having a blue cat with wings. I know that I always wanted one. I mean, who could possibly not want a flying, talking cat? Happy is so awesome.

When Lucy sees the castle, I can see the expression in her eyes shine like a million stars. She's ecstatic to be home, and I don't blame her. It's been a whole two years since we've been to the castle. I wonder if our rooms are still intact. That doesn't really concern me though, as long as Lucy's is. Forget what Jude said there, I'm sleeping in the same bed as her.

When we arrive inside the castle gates and the parade is over, and Lucy and I head inside. We notice the familiar interior to the building where I spent my earliest memories with Lucy. I smile in glee, knowing that I'll have all of those fun castle benefits to enjoy.

"So, I was thinking that a 'Welcome Home' party was in order." Jude suggests.

"You don't have to..." Lucy replies.

"But I want to. So, is there anyone in particular that you'd like to invite to this party?" Jude asks.

"Hmm... Well, is Fairy Tail on the list?" Lucy asks.

"Yeah, I was thinking so. They were the ones who found out you were alive, even if they were unable to bring you home." Jude explains.

"Sting Eucliffe and Rogue Cheney, as well as Laxus Dreyar." I request.

"It is done. The party will be in one week. There are also going to be some people that I invite, but you don't have to worry about talking to them so much. I'll just let them know you're still adjusting to the castle life once more." Jude explains.

"Okay." I say. "Are our rooms still there?"

"Yes, just like you left them." Jude answers.

"Lucy, do you want to go our rooms?" I ask.

Receiving a nod from Lucy, the two of us take off for the tower with our bedrooms. One thing I know that Lucy didn't particularly miss were the castle stairs. Though after all of that walking, especially the mountain climbing, she doesn't ever run out of breath climbing those stairs. They're nothing compared to what we've done in a day on our travels.

At the top, we inspect our rooms to realize that Jude wasn't lying when he said the rooms were exactly as they were left. Everything was in the same place as I remember. Strangely enough, there is absolutely no dust in either room, which means someone must have gone through and dusted everything while making sure that they didn't move anything. What a rough job!

I spend the next few days with Lucy, just re-exploring the castle. It's been so long that I don't remember all of the ins and outs like I used to. I also learned some secrets that I had never known about before. Especially the cliché secret room in the library. Apparently, Jude's grandfather had a secret room installed in the library so that he didn't have to go to dinner when his parents called for him. They'd assume he was out of town, and so he was off the hook.

I'm sure I can think of something more practical for this though. Maybe if the party becomes too hectic, I could invite some friends down here, and we could just hang out.

Lucy has been really nervous about the party. She's afraid that she'll be asked weird questions she doesn't know the answer to, or maybe that someone will think she's not fit to be the queen when she's lived like a nomad for two years. I've assured her several times that everything will be okay. It wasn't until I told her that I'd be right there with her that she stopped freaking out. It is really scary to be alone.

And finally, when the night of the party actually did arrive, Lucy and I had to get dressed up. I am dressed before Lucy, so I walk downstairs to see Jude speaking to one of the workers at the castle. Did I mention that Jude treats his workers really nicely? Well, he does. In fact, there is a long waiting list just to work at the castle because he treats his employees so nicely.

Anyways, I thought up something interesting to ask Jude before the party started. It doesn't really affect anything, but I was always curious to know what he went through when we were gone. I walk up to him as soon as he's done talking to the castle worker.

"Hey Jude, did you ever at one point think that we were dead?" I ask curiously.

"Well, heavens, that's a tough question, Natsu. Back when the guild hall first exploded, I feared the worst. Honestly, I would have thought that perhaps the explosion got the two of you, but I remembered that you are a Fire Dragon Slayer. As you know and probably used to your advantage, Dragon Slayers can eat their own element. I didn't fear that you died from the impact, what I was more concerned about was your ability to return home.

"We had spent several weeks looking for you two. I almost gave up hope that you'd come back, but I remembered that Lucy had actually begun using spirits. Maybe it was pure coincidence, but you hadn't shown anywhere we looked, so I concluded that Lucy and you traveled back to the Spirit World. Layla once told me that time flows differently there, at 1 Spirit World Day per 90 Earth Days.

"I didn't know where to look for you two, so I returned home in hopes that someone, somewhere would bring word about your reappearance. The kingdom had come to believe the two of you dead, yet I held on to the idea that you were alive. Layla always reminded me never to give up hope, even if those around you have already done so. Unfortunately, it took seven months before the Fairy Tail guild had spread the word about the sighting of you. I wasn't sure why they didn't bring you back to Fairy Tail, but I didn't press further.

"I took to sending guards to find you. I would have done so myself, but I needed to remain at home and run the kingdom. Nobody complained that money went into the search fund for the two of you. They were mostly just happy to here that their heir was alive.

"It wasn't until that note I received from the hospital that I found out that you two were stopped in a certain location. Deciding that I should be the one who greets you there, I left the castle to head towards the town. When I found the two of you, I was overjoyed. I had noticed how much you had grown since then.

"I know that I didn't really answer the question directly, but if you want a shortened answer, no, I did not give up hope that I would ever see you again. Layla would have killed me if I were to give up faith on the ones I care for the most." Jude explains.

I know that some people have joked about me being the king, and I understand why, but seriously if I have to be _that_ smart, there's no way I'm ever going to be a king. Jude is just another level of genius. I don't know how he knew all of that, but he did, exactly as it happened. I guess it's right for someone like him to take charge. He's just so freaking smart! How did he know?

Almost as if timed, Lucy shows up downstairs just as Jude finishes his answer to my question.

"Hey, were you guys talking about something?" Lucy asks, noticing that Jude and I are standing in a position that suggests conversation.

"No, not really." I reply. "Just excited for the party. How about you?"

"Nervous." Lucy confesses.

"Oh come on, I'm here, right? No need to be afraid." I tell her.

"I guess... You have to promise to stay near me the whole night though. The _whole freaking night_!" She demands.

"Alright, alright, fine. I will." I reply.

Out of the corner of my eye, I see that Jude is smiling. He knows exactly what's going to happen tonight. Lucy is going to get nervous and rely on me to help. Something I didn't expect him to say was the small sentence he whispered, knowing that I would pick up on it.

"...and if they ask, tell them you're a Prince. You're bound to be one anyways..."

And now, Jude thinks that I'm going to end up with Lucy. Honestly, at this point, who doesn't? I should probably tell her about my feelings, but I still get really nervous about it. The real Natsu Dragneel never gets nervous about anything! I don't want to confess to Lucy until I'm not nervous about saying my feelings. It's definitely a good thing that Jude is letting Lucy marry someone she loves, unlike most kings.

To my surprise, the first people to arrive are Sting and Rogue. However, they're not alone. With them are two cats just like Happy.

"Sting, Rogue! Wel-" I begin, before Sting charges me into a big hug.

"Jeez Natsu, you really are the new king!" Sting shouts.

"Not yet." I whisper back. Oh to hell with it, I'm joining this bandwagon too.

"Did you meet our cats? We found ones just like Happy! Lector is the red cat and Frosch is the green one. They talk just like Happy does too, and they can fly!" Sting explains.

Before I have the chance to respond, Happy comes flying down from the top tower. He planned on sleeping so that he didn't have to show up at the party, but once he smelled the cats, he must have flown down.

"Are there really?" Happy asks, flying at full speed towards us.

"Yes, there are." The cat identified as Lector says.

"Fro agrees." The cat identified as Frosch says.

"Aye, there are!" Happy exclaims.

"How did you find these guys? Were they in eggs too?" I ask curiously.

"How did you know?" Sting asks. "They were in the forest, both in eggs. We found and hatched the guys and they turned into cats. Some luck, huh? Either way, they make awesome friends."

"It's nice to meet another talking cat. What is your name?" Lector asks.

"Aye, I'm Happy, Natsu's cat." Happy answers, introducing himself.

"Oh, so you're the Natsu that Sting doesn't ever stop talking about." Lector says to me.

"You wouldn't believe how much he talks about you. Natsu this, Natsu that. Especially when he found out you sent him an invite to this party..." Rogue adds in.

"Hey, I don't talk _that_ much. Anyways, like he said, where's the party?" Sting asks.

"Well, you just happened to get here first." I answer.

"Really? That's crazy. Wait a minute, so if I'm first, that guy over there is the king?" Sting asks excitedly, pointing to Jude, walking towards us.

"Yes, that would be me." Jude says, arriving at the conversation. "What are your names?"

"I'm Sting, this is Rogue, and those two are Lector and Frosch." Sting introduces.

"Nice to meet you all. Welcome to the party. If you have any questions, feel free to ask." Jude says.

"So you have the whole castle to yourselves?" Sting asks.

"Just the three of us, plus the servants. There are lots of secrets too." I explain.

"Secrets! You have to show me them! I really want to know what the secrets are!" Sting says.

"I should start calling you little Natsu." Jude says.

"Why is that?" Sting replies.

"You're just so much like Natsu, it's crazy. You seem like you could be brothers." Jude observers.

"You really think so?" Sting says cheerfully.

"Easily. You just need pink hair, and then you'd be younger Natsu." Jude answers.

"Hey Rogue, do you still have that pink paint?" Sting asks.

"I already told you, we're not using ANY pink anywhere!" Rogue replies.

"But..." Sting whines.

"You should stay blonde, Sting. It makes you unique!" I tell Sting.

"Yeah, you're right. Maybe I should." Sting suggests.

I've taken notice that Happy, Frosch, and Lector have all left the front hall. I don't really feel like sniffing them out right now, and as long as Happy is with them, they should be fine.

Before we return to the conversation, more people arrive. Jude goes to go greet them, whilst I stay back and talk to Sting. Lucy walks over to me.

"Hey Miss Lucy." Sting says.

"Hello Sting." Lucy replies. "Hey Natsu, have you seen Happy anywhere? I thought he came down a little while ago."

"Well, he's off somewhere with Lector and Frosch. I don't think it'll be too much of a problem." I answer.

"Wait, Frosch and Lector are gone!?" Sting asks.

"Yeah, you would've realized if you stopped talking for once!" Rogue says. "Happy told me that they were off to the kitchen to look for fish or something."

"Oh okay. That's fine, I guess." Sting replies.

"So, Lucy. You better be ready, it's going to be a fun party!" I say, snaking an arm around Lucy's waist.

"Y-yeah!" Lucy says, turning her head to face mine, probably confused that I put my arm around her. I smile back, and whisper, "You look beautiful, you know that?"

Cue the blushing Lucy.


	23. Chapter 23: Fish Pile Distractions

**I know, this is a day late. Here's my excuse:**

**I spent a collective two hours at home yesterday, 1.5 before school doing homework, and half an hour before falling asleep. I was actually tempted to start this chapter at 1:00A.M. last night but my mind was completely shot after getting home. I don't really have much to say there.**

**Also, it's not guaranteed to end at chapter 25. I'm just setting a chapter minimum. Now that I look at it, I probably won't have it done by chapter 25.**

**Fun fact: Ending your sentences with Aye Sir! is highly addictive, Aye Sir!**

**Thanks DazzTugz, CupcakeGirl633, Disney lovers 101, Esme Alexis, Kai Longrider, Sawakaze-Steph16, the guest, BeastlyTick59, Ice and Thunder, and 12Redsky34 for reviewing!**

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><p>Before Lucy and I knew it, guests from all over Fiore were flooding into the castle's main hall. I recognize many of the faces because some of them I saw before we left for Magnolia years ago. I still haven't seen Fairy Tail yet. I wonder if Laxus was ever let back into the guild. He should be, after all, he definitely has the heart of a member of Fairy Tail.<p>

I've been following Lucy around, upon request, to help her talk to guests. It's not that she can't do it on her own, I think that she just feels more comfortable having me around. I could say the same thing about her, I always feel at peace when she's there beside me.

Some of the rich people seem to be really snotty. One even asked why it took so long to return home, when a simple carriage can get you there in a week. I had to calm down, thanks to Lucy, and explain that it's not as easy as it sounds. I describe the land features, with the oceans, mountains, hills, snowfall, and everything else that impeded our travel.

Someone that I've wanted to see for a long while now is Laxus. I doubt that he'll ever get the message, but I really wish that he'd come. There are so many different things that I want to say to him. I've yet to thank him for making me so strong, and I still need to ask if he's in Fairy Tail.

While wandering around the crowd, I bump into someone. Lucy, who is holding my hand, turns around and looks at me. When I look up to see the person I bumped it to, it's none other than Laxus Dreyar himself.

"Laxus!" I shout excitedly.

"Hello, Natsu. I see you've made it back fine." Laxus observes.

"Yeah, how's life holding up for you though?" I ask.

"Pretty good. I've been wandering the country for a while now, met some people. This one crazy guy named Gildarts, well, he's a whole other story." Laxus says.

"Wow, sounds fun. Are you in Fairy Tail again?" I ask.

"No, haven't been there since we left. Surprised they didn't attack me, to say the least. Although, it's not comforting to know that they're here to. I'm sure Gramps is gonna start a fight or something stupid." Laxus says.

"Do you still want to go back?" I inquire.

"It'd be nice to have a place to call home. All this traveling with no place to return to isn't the happiest of things." Laxus answers.

"Maybe we can talk to him." I suggest.

"Gramps would just yell. Stubborn old bastard." Laxus replies. "Besides, maybe taking over the guild would be a pretty cool April Fools' Day prank."

"Then _I_'ll talk to him." I say. "He'll listen to us!"

Intent on doing Laxus this favor, I walk with Lucy towards the Fairy Tail guild master. She looks a little confused, because after all, she's been leading us everywhere we've gone so far. But I need to do this, for Laxus' sake. Although he won't admit it, he wants to be back in the guild. I can tell by the look on his face, that he longs for the Fairy Tail guild.

I realize while I'm searching with Lucy that I have no idea what I'm going to say. I need to convince that guy right? And if Laxus can't do it, I need to find out how I can. There's no way that I'm going to back down. After all, I told Laxus that I wouldn't. It's just that I don't know what to say. If only this was easier, but where's the fun in life without a challenge. I'm starting to freak out, and am getting really, really nervous. I can feel the nervousness in my heartbeat, how it's much faster and feels weighed down.

"Having trouble thinking of something to say?" Lucy asks, reading my mind.

"How did you know?" I reply.

"I can tell by the look on your face. You seem troubled. Don't worry, Natsu." Lucy says, before releasing my hand. I want to be upset, but what she does next makes me forget about all of my potential sadness. She pulls me into a hug and whispers, "I believe in you, Natsu. I always have. You'll think of something to say, I just know it. You always know what to say to me, right? So how is this any different?"

Well, I could tell her that it's because I love her that I find it easier to say nice things. Instead I say, "Thanks Lucy. It means a lot." A minute later, she releases the hug, and we continue on our way.

Before we end up reaching the master of the guild, we run into a few other people. The first being Gray, who this time, isn't actually alone.

"What's up Gray?" I ask.

"I don't know, your Highness." Gray taunts, bowing.

"Haha, very funny. I might have you banished." I reply.

"That's the coward's way out, are you scared to fight me?" Gray asks.

"Of course not! That's why I'm gonna kick your ass and then banish you!" I shout.

It's Lucy who breaks the tension by asking, "Who are you?"

"Juvia's name is Juvia." Juvia says.

"Oh, it's nice to meet you Juvia. My name is Lucy." Lucy introduces herself.

"Juvia is glad to meet you, although Juvia wants to make sure you won't take Gray. Gray's love is for Juvia." Juvia says.

"Like hell she will!" I reply.

"Wow, Natsu, you might wanna calm down over there, before I start thinking that you're jealous." Gray taunts.

"Don't worry Natsu, you don't need to get jealous." Lucy whispers into my ears. "I'd pick you over him any day."

"You two might as well get married now." Gray comments, causing us to blush and separate.

"Juvia likes the idea of marrying Gray right now." Juvia says.

"That's not what I said!" Gray shouts.

"Well, we'll leave you to figure out your own romantic issues, Gray. Have fun with Juvia!" I say, leaving him to deal with Juvia all alone. It's funny how Gray gets so uncomfortable when shown affection. I don't really understand why he gets so crazy, but he's definitely something else.

Lucy and I continue through the crowd, hoping not to be interrupted by anything else. I really don't want to let Laxus down since I promised him that I'd help him out here. I still owe him quite a bit for saving the both of us.

Luck doesn't seem to be on our sides, as we get dragged into another conversation.

"Aye, Natsu, Lucy!" Happy shouts.

"What is it Happy?" I ask.

"The fishes! There are so many fishes in the kitchen." Happy explains.

"That's cool. Do you need something?" I inquire.

"Aye." Happy says dejectedly. "I kind of got Frosch stuck underneath a pile of fish."

"How big is the pile of fish?" Lucy asks.

"It's super big, Lucy!" Happy exclaims. "Can you help us?"

"What about the servants? Can't you get one of them to find Frosch?" I ask. I really don't want to get sidetracked from my favor.

"No, the servants are all working right now. Sorry for bothering Natsshuuuu." Happy says. Damn Happy's sad look. Now I feel obligated to help him.

"Fine, I'll help you." I reply.

"AYEE! Thanks Natsu!" Happy says, wrapping his paws around the top of my head.

"You're welcome buddy, just show me the way." I instruct.

Happy leads us through the crowd, through the kitchen door, and to where the fish are. I thought that when he meant there were some fish stacked about four or so feet high, but the number of fish in this kitchen was astounding. The pile must have reached 15 feet high! I don't even know where to start looking for Frosch. The poor guy could be buried underneath so many fish.

It doesn't hurt to start as soon as possible, so I begin to step forward to enter the fish pile. Here goes nothing...

Until Lucy catches my arm and stops me from entering.

"Natsu, I don't know if that's the best idea." Lucy says.

"Why is that Lucy?" I reply.

"Well, the fish is going to make you smell really bad, and you promised me that you'd stick around with me all night. I don't want to be selfish, but if you step into that pile of fish, you'll smell really bad and will have to change and shower before coming back down. Please don't go in." She pleads.

"Sorry Happy, I can't. Thanks Lucy, for not letting me break the promise." I say, agreeing not to go into the fish pile.

"But Natssssshuuuuuu." Happy whines.

"Oh come on Happy, it's okay. Listen, Frosch is fine. I can smell him, and he doesn't smell like a carcass. Just eat your way through the fish or something. He's probably asleep or something. I've gotta get back to keeping my promise." I reply.

"Aye! Why didn't I think to do that!" Happy says.

Grabbing Lucy's hand, I walk back out of the kitchen and into the party. There are still so many guests to greet, and it's been a couple of hours. Jude really does have a lot of friends. I don't even know how many more that I want to see. It's just so boringly time consuming. I never knew that faking a smile could be so hard. Especially when these people were so damn boring. So many stories of how they built themselves off the ground, starting their own companies and creating a monopoly. I don't really care about their companies...

I doubt Lucy does either, but as the princess, she has to act like she does.

Feeling hungry, I ask Lucy if we can go to the buffet tables. Once she agrees, we walk towards the tables where I spot a familiar face stuffing himself. Gajeel.

"Oi Salamander! Food eating contest now!" Gajeel commands.

"If it's a challenge you want, it's a challenge you've got!" I reply, filling my hands with food.

"Natsu, if you're going to tell people you're a royal, please act that way." Lucy says.

"Sorry Lucy. Gajeel, when the party is over, you and me are going at it. Understood?" I ask.

"I'll make sure to empty my stomach so I can easily destroy you." Gajeel taunts, following the sound of a whip.

"Oh shut the fuck up, Gajeel." I say, before walking away. Turning my head, I look at him and say, "Don't forget, as soon as it clears out. I don't care if Levy is telling you that she wants to go on a date, the contest is going!"

"Oi, shut the fuck up Salamander!" Gajeel shouts. Lucy and I laugh before walking back towards the party guests.

More companies. More "heroic" stories of finance. More faked smiles. I swear, these rich people are so pretentious, it makes me sick. They don't even understand the value of true accomplishment. It's not money that makes you rich, it's friends, family, and love. If you're rich in those, then you're rich. Money doesn't buy family nor does it buy true love.

They're just lucky that Igneel isn't here. Igneel, Igneel, if I listened to you, I would have eaten half of these people already, considering that's what you'd do. But I don't like the taste of human... Not that I've ever tasted human. It just reeks. Some people smell good, like Lucy, but not in the appetizing manner. I wouldn't eat a rose because it smells good. I would give it to Lucy instead.

And thinking about the taste of things made me remember that I never grabbed any food at the table. Now I'm really hungry.

Something that I've picked up is that one of the Fairy Tail members, Erza, keeps staring at this noble guy with blue hair. I don't really get what's going on there, but maybe they know each other. I wouldn't be too surprised if they did. Maybe they're secret lovers. They are both a few years older than Lucy and me.

At one point, we run into Jude again. He's rather cheery, and a little more carefree than usual. Maybe it's because he's just happy to have us back. I'm sure that takes a lot of stress off his back, both emotionally and politically.

Still, it's unusual to see him so carefree. He's always extremely calm and formal at parties, yet at this one he seems to be super happy, not really caring for the rigid standards of the wealthy. I don't blame him. If I succeed him, I definitely won't conform to any stupid manners. I don't believe that I should have to act like someone that I'm not. I probably will succeed him. As long as I can keep Lucy as mine. I haven't really told her, but I really hope she knows that I love her. I want to tell her, but we're only 12, almost 13, so starting _that_ kind of relationship wouldn't be right just yet.

"Hey Lucy, Natsu. How are you enjoying things?" Jude asks.

"It's fun." I reply.

"Nerve-wracking." Lucy says.

"Even with me there?" I ask.

"I would have melted into a puddle of nervousness if it weren't for you Natsu." She answers.

"Why are you so nervous?" I inquire.

"I don't know, I just feel scared that I'm going to screw something up. I don't want to make dad sound like he has a bad daughter." Lucy replies.

"You'd never do that, Lucy. I know you're a fantastic girl, and I don't think there's anything that you could do to make me think you're a bad daughter. I'll always love you." Jude says.

"Yeah, thanks dad." Lucy responds. I can tell by the look on her face that a huge weight was lifted off of her shoulders. It must be hard to be the future heir. I don't have the stress because most people don't know that I am, even though I promised myself I would be.

I have to thank Jude from the bottom of my heart one day for promising that Lucy would be able to marry the person that she loves. I know it's a hard thing for someone to do, especially with the loss of the love of your life. I don't know how I'd be able to function if Lucy didn't exist, if I even could.

As I'm thinking about all of the things I'm thankful for, I remember that Laxus is one of them. And that I need to make it better for him too.

Oh crap! I forgot to go see the master of the Fairy Tail guild. Shoot!

Grabbing Lucy's hand, I take the lead and try to smell out the Master. When I locate the scent, I walk directly towards him. I don't know why I didn't do this in the first place. Oh wait, because of Happy's fish pile.

I'll have to make sure he doesn't eat all of those. That wouldn't be good for his diet. But now isn't the time to be thinking about Happy! It's the time to be thinking of what to say to this guy!

All too soon, I arrive where Master Makarov is.

"Hello, Princess Lucy, Natsu." Makarov says.

"Hey there, Master Makarov." I reply. "I need to ask you something."

"Sure, what is it boy?" Makarov asks.

"Well, I was wondering if you'd let Laxus back into your guild, sir." I say.

He looks at me with a stone cold face, before asking, "Did he put you up to this? I can go teach that brat a lesson if you'd like..."

"No, not at all! You see, he helped us back in Hargeon, and I really am thankful for it. He cares a lot about his friends now. He was so upset after what he did, which you are reasonably mad for. He even stopped using his magic, until I told him that it wasn't right to stop. He trained me to be a better person, he took Lucy and I in during one of the most dangerous seasons in Hargeon. I really think that you should let him back into the guild. He's really sorry." I explain.

"Well, is that all? I'm sorry Natsu, but I can't just let him back in. He attacked Fairy Tail." Makarov says.

Gray, out of nowhere, appears behind Makarov and whispers something into his ear.

Makarov whispers back, "What? The heir! Why didn't you tell me this? Fine, I guess a compromise is in order."

"Why do you want him back in the guild so much?" Makarov asks.

"Well, he's done so much for us that I think the least we can do for him is help him get back to his home." I explain.

"That sounds noble. Very well, I'll inform Laxus that he's allowed in." Makarov says.

"Really?!" I ask optimisitcally.

"Yes, really. Under one circumstance though. Fairy Tail parties in the castle once a year once you become the next king!" Makarov shouts.

"That sounds fine." I reply.

"Okay, now that we're in agreement. Make sure you bring booze. It's going to be on, how about, June 24?" Makarov negotiates.

"Yeah, sure that works." I say.

"Thanks for the deal Natsu. I'm sure it will work out great." Makarov says, before going to hopefully find Laxus.

I wouldn't have agreed to it if the parties were formal. I know that Fairy Tail is not a formal guild, and therefore should be very fun! I can't wait!


	24. Chapter 24: Setting things Straight

**Well, now I have a bonus chapter idea. Thanks BeastlyTick59!**

**I was told that I was misusing your and you're. The person who left this review left it on Chapter 1. Looking back, I didn't find any misuses throughout the first chapter. I'm more than well aware of how to use each, but if I did make a mistake, please point out the specific spot in the story in which I screwed up. This story has 70k+ words, so looking for one mistake isn't very easy.**

**Just a note, the imagination is up to you. I'm not really the descriptive type. I really hope I don't disappoint. You'll understand after reading the chapter what I'm not very good at. After all, it's only once a story that I write one of these.  
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**Thanks to BeastlyTick59, Esme Alexis, Disney lovers 101, Ice and Thunder, and the guest for reviewing!... Aye sir.**

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><p>And so the party went on, all that night. It didn't stop until well into the early hours of morning. I don't know how those old people find that much time to talk about companies, but they did.<p>

I was pretty sure that Lucy and I were going to be together. It was an unspoken truth, which neither of us needed to talk about. It was what one might call skinny love, when two people are in love and too afraid to confess, but show it anyways.

If you counted that as a relationship, Lucy and I had been dating for three years, since we are now 15. Of course, what's a relationship without actually confessing, right? That did happen, actually just earlier today. Along with our first kiss. So today is actually the first official day of our relationship, even though we're madly in love with each other.

The day starts like any other day. We wake up together, in each others' arms of course, and go downstairs to eat breakfast with Jude. It's the news that he breaks to us that sets everything that would occur into motion.

"Natsu, Lucy, we're going to have the Straight family come over. I promised them one dinner since they helped look for the two of you so well. They can be rather... annoying, however." Jude informs.

"Okay, when will they arrive?" Lucy asks. Every time that I look over at her, I notice just how beautiful she is. I'm glad that she's mine, because there's no one that I'd rather have to call my own. She's always so pretty, even when she wakes up and her hair is all messed up, when she cries because she's sad, or when she doesn't use makeup (something that I encourage her not to do. It's not like she needs it anyways.)

"Probably around noon." Jude replies.

Right now it's probably about 10:00A.M. So we have to allow these people over from noon to about eight? That doesn't sound so hard. Over the past three years, we've had a number of guests show up for dinner. But I feel slightly off about this family. Didn't Jude say they were rather annoying? Jude never says that anyone is annoying, even if I find them to be annoying. They must be really annoying if Jude has something to say about them.

For the next two hours, we prepare ourselves so that we are ready for the Straight family. It doesn't take two hours to get dressed, but of course, there's always conversations with Lucy. I never get tired of talking to her, nor do I run out of things to say. It's just so nice knowing that I have her to myself in this big castle. Well, Jude is here too, but he doesn't often intrude on our daily activities. That doesn't mean that he ignores us, it's just that he isn't always around us, monitoring our every move.

When the Straight family does arrive, the first thing I notice is that they're definitely rich snobs. Fancy clothing, smug looks, and an elitist behavior are all pretty clear attributes of this family. These eight hours are going to take forever, especially if we have to hang out with that kid.

Who seems to be walking over to us pretty excitedly, like he has something to show us. That's fine, I guess.

Until he grabs Lucy's hand, goes down on one knee, and kisses it.

"Back off." I warn the kid. He seriously thinks he can pull something like that on Lucy with me around? No chance in hell.

"What, a challenger? I, Dan Straight, will win the love of Princess Lucy Heartfilia without a doubt." Dan says.

"You don't even have a chance." I reply coldly.

"What makes you so confidant that she'll choose you?" Dan asks smugly.

"Well, I don't think you've spent the last five years with her, two of which were spent mostly traveling the country and the other three in the castle. I doubt you know much more than her name and title, you elitist snob." I bark.

"Natsu, jeez, you act like Dan has a chance." Lucy whispers into my ear. "Just, let it go for a bit. If it gets too bad, I'll slap him across the face, and we can go back to Jude, okay?"

"If it were up to me, I would have already smacked this kid halfway across the country and back." I whisper back. "Please don't let him touch you, at all."

"You think I enjoy it?" She whispers back.

"Good." I reply. "The last thing I want you to do is enjoy it. I'm glad that I didn't have to convince you."

"Hey! Stop that whispering! You scoundrel, you're trying to steal the princess from me!" Dan shouts. "I won't have it!"

"She was never yours to begin with." I retort.

"Oh this is so infuriating!" Dan says.

"Why don't we just go outside to the garden?" Lucy suggests, before grabbing my hand.

Predicting Dan's move, I say, "Don't you dare think about it Dan. She's mine."

He simply grumbles, before following us outside. When we arrive at the garden, he finally speaks up, "Why don't you hold my hand instead, Lulu?"

"Her name is Lucy, you piece of shit." I reply.

"Hey Natsu, don't call him that." Lucy chides, before whispering, "Remember, he is kind of noble. We need to show some respect, even if he is one."

"That's right! You tell him, Lulu!" Dan says.

Holding back my rage, I remind myself that Lucy would take me over Dan any day. After a few fist clenches, I manage to calm myself down.

The rest of the walk in the garden is a silent, yet extremely awkward game of territory. I assert that Lucy is mine, keeping her close, while Dan tries to get anything he can. Thanks to my perfect skills, I'm able to keep Lucy near me, and far away from Dan. Still, it's a pain in the ass, because normally I'd be admiring Lucy's beauty, or just walking with her casually. Now I have to monitor my surroundings so this obsessive freak doesn't come close to her.

I can't help but wonder what the parents are talking about inside. Seriously, if the kid is this crazy, I don't think the parents are much better. I'm sure Jude is getting a whole bunch of nonsense spat at him while he tries to remain calm. Something tells me that they're here for a little more than just a dinner. And that something doesn't sit so well in my stomach.

After a little while, Lucy and I sit down on a bench. Ensuring that there's no room for Dan, I smirk when he has to stand. His shoes don't look comfortable in the slightest. Several times he suggests that we keep walking or that Lucy comes with him, but every time one of us shuts him down. Sorry Dan, she's not leaving my side in a million years.

After about thirty minutes of sitting, mostly just to piss off Dan, Lucy and I get up and walk inside the castle. Dan follows shortly behind, but doesn't manage to get anywhere near Lucy, thanks to me. I swear, Dan is a fly to light, he's attracted but he needs to be swatted away.

Inside the castle, I "apologize" to Dan, telling him that we'll be back down after we go to _our_ room to get something. In reality, I just want to get away from him for a while. I hate to do this to Jude, but there are some things I need to have settled.

When we arrive up in Lucy's room, I close the door, and she turns around, confused.

She asks, "What are you looking for up here?"

"Oh nothing really. Just this." I answer, stepping close and placing a kiss on her lips. I continue to kiss her for a few seconds, but when I don't feel response, I pull away, with sadness and remorse.

"N-Natsu!" Lucy shrieks. "Where did _that_ come from?"

"I'm sorry." I reply. "I should probably go." Turning to head down the stairs, I feel her hand grab onto my wrist.

"You're such a big idiot, you know that? Just don't...surprise me next time...if you want a response." She says, choking on her words because of embarrassment.

"O-okay. It's just, well, I was frustrated. Dan was acting like you and him were some sort of match in heaven. I realized that, well, maybe I never confessed to you." I explain, flustered by the situation.

"Confess what?" She asks.

Pulling her into a hug, I whisper, "That I've loved you since I laid eyes on you. You saved my life and gave meaning to the empty life that had started to consume me. Without you, I wouldn't be happy, I wouldn't have a purpose, a reason, a point of existence. You saved me, Lucy. I'd be there, but not really, because I wouldn't have you. You're the best thing to happen to me Lucy, and there's no way I'd ever let you slip through my fingers to anyone. I don't care the responsibilities that would come with being together, I just want you to be mine. I'll do whatever it takes." I pull back slightly, so that we're staring at each other, just inches apart.

"You...love me? I was always nervous that you didn't even like me! But love? I obviously love you too, you stupid idiot. I was just so scared you were only doing all of that for your job." She responds.

"I would never. How many times do I have to tell you, Lucy? I love you, I love, love, love you! There's no other reason for my actions, other than love." I say.

I follow up that with kiss, pulling her closer, and she deepens the kiss by responding to my kiss. As the outside world fades away, and I sink into pure bliss, that annoying son of a bitch comes back. And it was just getting good too.

"I can't believe what I'm seeing!" Dan shouts. "Lucy, you're unfaithful to your future husband!"

"Future husband?" I asked, enraged that not only did he interrupt the kiss, but he dares still challenge my claim on Lucy. "You're looking right at him, you shit-bag!" I shout.

"No, my parents are going to pay King Jude for Lucy's hand in marriage." Dan says.

"Like he agree to do that!" Lucy shouts. "I'll go downstairs and prove it to you right now! My dad isn't a sellout!"

"Come on Lucy, let's go." I instruct.

I run down the stairs with Lucy, refusing to believe what Dan just said. There's no way in hell that Jude would sell out Lucy, not after he spent two years looking for us. I know that his heart is too big for something like that. Jude always treated me like a son, and he knows better than to cheat out his son. Yet any rumor that someone is trying to split Lucy and I up is something that I cannot accept. Not in a million years. I have to go prove him wrong.

We arrive downstairs, and listen through the wall into Jude's study to hear the conversation.

"And so, we'd like to propose a deal of 250,000,000 jewels for your daughter's hand in marriage. We believe it's best for both families that Dan Straight marry Lucy Heartfilia. They are both of noble bloodline and come from affluent backgrounds, which is the most suitable for the throne." I hear an older male voice that isn't Jude's, probably Mr. Straight's.

"Well, certainly that is a tempting offer." Jude replies. No, please don't say that Jude! You can't accept this, no way in hell! "May I please tell you a story?"

"Of course, your Highness." Mr. Straight answers.

"You see that picture? That is the picture of my late wife, Layla Heartfilia. She and I spent the most magical years together. I still remember our first encounter, date, and definitely the wedding. I can't think of a time I was happier. We were perfect together. We rarely fought over anything, and life was great for the both of us.

"Did I ever tell you that Layla actually never had royal blood? She wasn't a part of any particular family of royals. She was a commoner, just like the ones you see on the street. That's why I met her in a restaurant. She was begging for a meal because her parents couldn't afford to feed her. Moved by compassion, I spoke to her, and eventually gave her what she wanted. Layla had the most energetic personality in the world. It's something I see in my daughter Lucy, and my son, Natsu.

"I ended up bringing her to the castle. We spent many of our days together, and fell in love before we knew it. We were happy for a very long time together. Until one day, my parents told me that I had to send her away because she was not of royal blood. I refused, because blood shouldn't matter. My parents wouldn't see my point of view, so Layla and I packed our bags and ran. We fled to Magnolia, where we found refuge in the Fairy Tail guild.

"Fairy Tail defended us, and ultimately forced my parents to concede to the fact that Layla and I were soul mates. Ecstatically, we returned to the castle. Even though they were hostile at first, they eventually learned to befriend Layla, and even treated her like a daughter before they passed away. They could have had several more years of happy relations with Layla if they had not judged her based on blood types.

"When the two of us inherited the kingdom, it was much to her thanks that I could maintain order. She helped me in several different ways to keep my footing, and she believed in me when no one else did. She gave birth to our daughter Lucy. Together, we raised a family.

"Disease struck and I was left heartbroken. Lucy, at the age of ten was a bright girl, but she couldn't comprehend that Layla wasn't coming back. Layla was gone for good.

"As if by some magical timing, that young pink-haired boy named Natsu Dragneel showed up into our lives, just after the death of Layla. He happened to be very poor as well, as he too, was a commoner. Lucy saw him outside, saved him from being arrested, and took him in, inviting him to be a permanent resident of the castle.

"I remember the first time I saw that boy, I knew that one day he'd marry my daughter. I still believe that he will, as soon as he realizes that I'm fully in favor of it. I don't believe in royal blood. Layla agreed that Lucy should be able to marry the man of her choice. I can still remember the last words she spoke before succumbing to the deadly plague, 'Jude, please, give Lucy the future _she_ wants.'

"And the future that Lucy wants is not one with a stranger who has royal blood. It's one with her best friend, ultimately lover, who is a commoner. The one that she took in, the one she traveled with. I've said it before, and I'll say it again: Lucy Heartfilia is to marry the man she wants to marry, not the highest bidder. So, please, tell me why you're bribing the King of Fiore, a criminal offense punishable by life in prison?" Jude says.

Did Jude call me his son? He believes that I'm the one to marry her daughter, and he's turning down 250 million Jewels so that I can marry Lucy? Jude, I love you so much! You truly are an amazing father. I don't know anyone else who would turn down that much money for the sake of someone else.

"Please, sir! We'll do anything! Raise it to 500 million! Hell, even 1 billion will do it! Anything to get these two together!" Mr. Straight pleads.

"Did you not listen? I don't want to hear any of this shit! I told you already where I stand! You can offer whatever you'd like, but I have put my foot down, and no means no! Lucy Heartfilia is not measured by some price tag. You can't just buy my daughter!" Jude shouts, enraged.

"Sorry, sir. We understand, we'll be leaving." Mr. Straight says, obviously upset by the rejection of the offer.

Lucy and I run from the door into the kitchen, where we hug each other in happiness. There's nothing better than knowing that the King of Fiore is defending my relationship with his daughter. As we pull back to kiss each other, a familiar voice who happened to be nowhere in sight all day speaks up.

"You liiiiiike each other, Aye Sir!" Happy shouts.

"Where have you been?" I ask curiously.

"Aye, well I'm no dummy! I hid from that stupid family!" Happy says proudly.

"Yeah, well the louder you are, the more likely they'll find you." I reply, before kissing Lucy, and ignoring the rest of Happy's teasing.

This all left me with one thought in my mind... I should have done this sooner!


	25. Chapter 25: The Future, Mom, and Dad!

**Wow, big 25! This is quite remarkable, unprecedented by my other stories. I remember wanting to make my first story go to 25. Though I'm kind of glad I didn't. Not my best work, to be quite honest.**

**Well, thanks for positivity. Like I said, I'm not great at making these confessions, because they're usually unexciting in real life. I didn't really have a plan for Lucy and Natsu to get together, and often did I struggle with their age. I was tempted to make the journey take three or four more years, but you'd need an extremely large planet for the rate at which they walked, so I could only make them twelve. Who forms a solid relationship at 12? I mean, friends who later marry, yeah, but I don't really know anyone who has married their girlfriend that they had been together with since 12. (I didn't even know that people had serious relationships at 12).**

**I find that when writing stories, I typically stay away from the erotics and other stuff, mostly because it sounds pretty similar no matter where you read it, with small variations. I also don't think it fully displays the meaning and long-lasting image that true love portrays. So if you're expecting something really erotic, sorry, you're in the wrong place.**

**Well, we're winding down on chapters. This story will be over very shortly (after all, it's the ADVENTURES, not the RETURN). Don't worry, a fourth story is promised, most definitely. Darker though. Wait, what am I talking about? We're not done yet! Back to the present! Aye Sir!**

**Relationship between Jude and Igneel in this story? Well, I don't have one in place. I could add one, in fact you gave me an idea for one. If anything, it'd be friendly since Jude is fond of dragons (see early chapters with castle decorations). Igneel has mainly been an element of sadness for Natsu in both stories. He's there to show Natsu's character in a higher manner.**

****I know, it's a long author's note. Sorry, just so much to talk about. ****

**Thanks to Disney lovers 101, BeastlyTick59, Ice and Thunder, the Guest, Et Bellator, and orionXD for reviewing.**

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><p>After hearing that conversation between Jude and the Straights, I thought it would be easy to tell him about our new found relationship. Of course, I'm dead wrong.<p>

I actually feel extremely guilty for some reason. I know that I should tell him that I'm dating his daughter, but for some reason I feel afraid he's going to reject me or something. I already know that he won't, yet I still feel uncomfortable sharing it around him.

It's really annoying to feel this way, so I have to think of someway to overcome this strange anxiety that I have. I need to be able to clearly confess to Jude that I'm in love with his daughter without him getting extremely mad. That's not too hard though, right? He already approves me, all I need is to say it out loud, ask formally to receive his blessing for our relationship. For some reason, this seems harder than anything I've done before, and it doesn't even involve any kind of fighting! It's just boring emotions, trying to screw with me all over again.

Sometimes I wish that Jude would walk in on us making out or something of that nature. That's the easiest and fastest way to let him know — having him figure it out on his own. Of course, it's not always the most polite form. He might think that we were trying to hide it from him, but we weren't.

I've begged Lucy to tell him for me. He wouldn't dare lay a finger on his one and only beloved daughter, would he? I know that he wouldn't hurt me, in fact he'd probably praise and thank me for taking interest into Lucy. Yet, it still makes me extremely nervous.

It's only been a few days since the Straights came and went, which to much of their chagrin, would most likely be their last. I know that I'm never inviting that Dan kid back to the castle once I become the king. No creeps who can't take a hint are allowed in.

Still, I often think about that kid. Why was he so obsessed with Lucy? Didn't he know anything about her? He couldn't even say her name right after the first few times. He said that stupid 'Lulu' nickname or something. I can't believe that he thought it would work. Who has the right to give her a nickname besides me and Jude? No one, that's who!

So, here I'm stuck with my current predicament. Telling Jude, why does it have to be so complicated? I know he's going to respond with a simple, "That's good", "That's what I wanted to hear", "Nice catch, son", or most likely "It's about damn time." None of this makes sense! I know how he's going to react, so why am I scared?

I really need to vent my anger and frustration, and I sure as hell won't ever do something like that to Lucy, so I must look for a target to be my output of frustration. Deciding on just sleeping away my worries, I walk up towards my room and sit down on my bed.

I think about all of the things that Lucy and I have done together — a popular topic of my mind — and the list just seems to be endless. I have very few memories of anything without her, and every memory with her has her so detailed it amazes me. My mind definitely knows how to remember Lucy over the years.

Hearing the voice of someone I haven't heard for a while, my senses go into hyper-drive as I try to locate the source of the voice. I haven't heard it in years! The voice of Igneel!

_"Are you a coward, Natsu?"_ I hear, although cannot smell or see the source. It almost feels as if it was originating from within me. How though?

"Of course not!" I whisper back. No way this voice is going to answer my question.

_"Then why are you afraid of something that you already know the answer to?" _The voice asks.

"I-I don't know!" I whisper back frustratedly.

_"If I were you, I'd definitely do something about that. You don't want him inviting anymore suitors over, now do you?" _The voice asks.

"No way in hell!" I reply angrily.

_"Then tell him already." _The voice says.

"Fine, I will! Does that make you happy?" I ask.

No response. The voice seems to gone away. For some reason, it sounded a lot like Igneel, but for all I know, I could be hearing things. Sometimes you can have a conversation with yourself in your mind. I don't really understand why, but it works. It might have been entirely my imagination, but for some reason it felt oddly weird, as if Igneel was speaking to me from inside of me.

One thing is clear though: The voice gave me hope. I now have the courage to face Jude and tell him about Lucy and me. Every little bit of nervousness dissipated from my body during that conversation, being replaced with courage, pride, and joy. I feel like I could scream it on top of the world for everyone to hear. I'm no longer worried what people have to say about us. I don't care, it's just us, not them!

Running down the stairs, I pick up speed quickly. I want to get to Jude as fast as possible with my new found courage so that I can tell him right away. I don't know how long I'll be confident to tell him, but I certainly don't want to find out. The last thing I want to happen is have myself choke over my own words while asking Jude permission to date his daughter.

Thankfully, nobody is visiting Jude in his office, but he is in there doing some of the customary work that comes with being the king. Running into the room, I realize I forgot to warn him that I was entering his office, not that he usually cares.

"Hey Natsu, you look like you're in a hurry." Jude observes.

"Well, kind of. I need to tell you something, and you please, please...just don't freak out, okay?" I ask nervously.

"Go on." Jude says.

"Well, I'm kind of... well, not kind of, I'm..._completely and entirely_ in love with your daughter." I say, pausing for a second. "It may be a surprise, but I really hope that you'll accept it."

"Natsu, do you really think that I would allow you to date my daughter?" Jude asks.

"Well... I'm not really–

"I know you were listening in a few days ago during my conversation with the Straight family. You're not the most stealthy person in the world. I heard your footsteps get louder as you reached the door, stop, and the pick up again, except this time running away, once we came to an agreement. So I know exactly what you heard. In fact, some of the stuff that I said was directed at the two of you." Jude explains.

"Like what?" I ask.

"When I said that things like blood didn't matter. I don't care about your background, but I know that your personality and qualities are those that I want in a man who would ever date my daughter. You possess those qualities." Jude says.

"You really think so?" I ask excitedly.

"I know so. You know, Natsu, aside from a good spouse, you'd make a damn good king. You're not the uptight fancy royal snob that people picture as kings. For some odd reason, people believe that the richest and most 'noble' are the most qualified to rule. They're full of shit, Natsu. The best ruler is one from the people themselves. Unfortunately, most people are unqualified, so finding one that is can be hard. You possess the natures that define a good leader: Just, Noble, Comprehensible, Courageous, and Wise. To find a person with half these is a feat, but you, you posses all of them." Jude explains.

"I wouldn't describe myself as wise, however." I reply.

"Ahh, but you are. When you fight, your mind is greater than the most famous thinkers of all time. You process strategies, maneuvers, possible outcomes, multiple moving objects, levels of importance, and natural surroundings faster and more effectively than anyone else. If you applied that to ruling a nation, you would be the greatest there ever was. They would call you Dragneel the Great!" Jude says.

"I'm honored you think so well of me." I thank Jude.

"I'm not doing anything, just helping you realize what you have. People may think you're stupid, but you're obviously not. You develop wisdom with the job." Jude explains. "Did you know that my tutors thought that I would bring the downfall of the country?"

"No, I didn't." I answer.

"Yeah, now they're all rolling in their graves for how wrong they were. I don't mean to boast, but I haven't just brought this country down yet. But proving them wrong isn't the point. It's the fact that I worked against all odds. You have to understand something extremely important Natsu: grades are important, yes, but real knowledge comes from experience. When we realized that something wasn't working, we stopped it, and made sure that we never did that again. It'd be stupid, wouldn't it? Pure insanity." Jude says.

"Yeah, it is." I respond.

"You probably know where this conversation is going. You think that I might make you the future king. And you know what? You're on point. I'm thinking about training you to become successor to the throne. Don't worry, I'm not resigning anytime soon, but it's just something to look forward to. I'll have you learn governing with Lucy and together you two can rule the kingdom. I hope that you don't mind this offer, because I really want you to accept it. You're the most qualified person I know, and although I wasn't going to tell you until you were eighteen, I felt it necessary to do so now because of what happened years ago — almost killing you and sending you on a multiple year journey." Jude explains.

"I would be honored. Do you think that I'm going to end up marrying Lucy though?" I ask, a little surprised that he sees a future where the two of us rule the kingdom — King and Queen.

"Of course, your love is stronger than anything I've ever seen. Even my own love with Layla wasn't as strong as yours." Jude says.

"How do you know so much?" I ask.

"Comes with the job. When you're my age, you'll probably be just as wise." Jude answers.

"Wow. I know it doesn't really sound like it, but I'm really grateful that you'd let me take your place." I say.

"I understand your nervousness. Being the king isn't all it's caked up to be. It's not a very easy job by any means. You have a whole country dependent on your actions to function for the greater good of the populace." Jude replies.

"I hope that I'll learn how to rule that populace as well as you have." I say hopefully.

"I trust that you will do an amazing job. Though I suggest you run along, Lucy is probably waiting for you somewhere by now." Jude replies.

"Okay, thanks." I respond, walking out the door. I really need to find Lucy. I don't want to tell her about the king thing. It'd definitely add stress and that's the last thing that I want Lucy to have. She shouldn't have to worry about the little things, because I'm sure they'll happen. As long as I have some power, they're guaranteed to be reality in time. Jude really believes in our relationship, doesn't he? I'm glad that he cares so much for both his family and kingdom. I worry sometimes that people are too self-centered to understand the needs of others, and I'd definitely be heartbroken if Lucy's father was that way. Lucky for me, Jude is benevolent in all ways. He's definitely the nicest monarch that I've ever met.

When I find Lucy, she's standing in the garden, a flower held up to her chest, staring at the sunset while wearing a dress. All that she's missing is the big wings and the halo, otherwise she's the embodiment of an angel. I have a hard time believing that she's so beautiful. I don't know how anyone could ever want to be with someone besides Lucy. Lucy is simply the most beautiful and majestic person I have met in my entire life.

"Lucy!" I shout, running up to her and enclosing her in a big hug.

"N-Natsu! You scared me there." She replies.

"Well, you just looked so beautiful, I don't know. It was confusing, but I know that all I wanted to do was kiss you senseless." I say.

"T-thanks Natsu. I've just started to wear this dress Mama wore when in the palace garden. Do you think that it looks okay?" Lucy asks.

"I think it looks absolutely and stunningly beautiful." I reply. "I can tell that it definitely looks amazing on you."

"T-thanks. I just thought I might want to do something to remember her. You know, like a memento, but an activity instead of an object." She explains.

"You know, that sounds wonderful." I comment, completely in a daze by her beautiful looks. "But why were you out the garden today?"

"Mama always went gardening on the 7th and 17th of every month. Right before she passed away, she was complaining about being forced away from her gardening. She really liked to grow tropical flowers that weren't meant to be around here. She said they were metaphors to her life in the palace. She never felt unwelcome, but she never got used to the life of the castle. That's why she gardened. It reminded her of her past, when she was poor." Lucy explains.

"Do you know how to garden?" I ask curiously.

"A little bit. Mama taught me, but I don't remember much of it because we didn't get very far before she became too sick to do anything. I always told Mama I'd tend her gardens, but I haven't done a great job at it." Lucy says.

"Hey don't feel bad, I can help you!" I offer.

"Really?" She asks.

"Of course, that's what boyfriends are for, aren't they?" He asks.

"Well, I don't want to make you feel like you have to do this. You wouldn't like gardening very much. It's not really anything up your alley." Lucy says, thinking about my needs first.

"It's that or sit in the castle alone. You're going to learn gardening either way, so I might as well make it more fun, you know?" I reply.

"If you want that." She says.

"I want anything that makes you smile." I reply.


	26. Chapter 26: Return to Magnolia?

**Sorry about not posting Friday... I don't have any motivation to write on a Friday. It's really because of how tired I am from the week (and just have gotten home from the gym) and I don't want do anything productive. I immediately skype friends from school and just play games to ease my mind. That's why there was no chapter on Friday. You shouldn't expect Friday chapters, it's probably just not going to happen.**

**Of course, you might have been able to figure out that all of this is dependent on me having school on Friday. If I don't, you can definitely expect a chapter. For example, next Friday there will most likely be a chapter because I live in the U.S. and all awesome people here celebrate Thanksgiving. Since my last day of school is Tuesday, there will be a chapter Friday. (Even if it isn't for ****_this_**** story, though it probably will be).**

**Don't worry Esme, I'm not sad, Aye sir!**

**Sometimes I forget that not everyone has read up to the latest manga chapter. Sorry if I spoil, I'll try to refrain, although it might happen without my knowledge.**

**J'aime tout le monde qui lisent cette histoire, les gens qui passent en revue et ceux qui ne font pas! Vous me faites très content, et je serai nulle part si vous n'aimiez pas cette histoire. Merci, mes amis!  
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**Thanks BeastlyTick59, Esme Alexis, Ice and Thunder, Disney lovers 101, and the guest for reviewing!**

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><p>According to Jude, Fairy Tail started this new tradition called the Fairy Ball. Apparently, enough people in the guild reached an appropriate age to begin to have love interests that the master thought it would be a good idea to throw a ball once a year. Knowing Makarov, I expect the ball is going to be pretty crazy.<p>

Lucy and I have been dating for an entire year now. We're still going really strong, and I know that she's the one that I'm going to marry. Of course, I've wondered about engagement, but I've yet to propose to her. I'm going to propose, it's just that I have absolutely no idea how to propose. Usually people do things that are fancy or bring back good memories, but I have neither to share with her. Most of our memories go back to the journey that we spent together. Unfortunately, it's not that easy to go back to all of these places, nor did they really share any romantic significance. It wasn't until we returned to the castle that I finally displayed romantic affection towards her.

This is a ball, a ball that we were cordially invited to, so I would definitely like to look my best, not for my sake, but for Lucy's. She's going to be the queen, right? She deserves to look amazing, so I don't want to screw anything up for her. That would be a terrible thing to do to her.

Dance is so weird and complicated. I never really got the premise of it. Yet, I'm in the castle being forced to be taught to dance. I'm not sure if I have it worse because I hate dancing or if Lucy does because I keep stepping on her feet. I swear, I'm not trying to! It's just not that easy to move around without coming closer to her.I can see her frustration because I can't dance well, and I try to do my best for her sake. I really am giving it my all. I'm sure she knows it though, and that's why she's not screaming at me right now. I know that she isn't enjoying having her feet stepped on every couple of minutes.

Thankfully, I'm able to learn how to dance within a few days, which means that I'm not going to fail Lucy. I really don't want to let her down, because this is her first ball, and I know that she's always wanted to dance. As long as she doesn't dance with anyone else, I'm fine with it.

I'm told by Jude that we'd be leaving a week in advance, just like usual. Since he has the supplies, he's going to take the most direct route, just like last time. Lucy and I would have taken this route, but it's not the safest, since there are a lot of thieves, murderers, and other cruel people who live on this road. Since Jude is the king, he has a lot of different things that would keep him safe, especially the surrounding carts that would be filled with soldiers to protect us.

Jude didn't actually have anymore of those motion sickness vials, but to our luck, I still hadn't used the second one that Jude gave me. Remembering that I had it made my day, and I was surprised too. I'm sure that I would have definitely used it in at least one or two different occasions. I'm not that resistant to motion sickness.

The trip goes by rather smoothly. We left on a Monday, and we travel for the next five days, arriving Friday night or the Sunday ball. The trip seems awfully familiar, and since last time, I can't help but keep a closer eye on Lucy. I make sure she's around me all the time, always sitting next to her. It's not that I don't trust her, it's that I don't trust the world to keep her safe. I know that she wouldn't go down on her own. After all, her celestial spirits will help her in any pinch that she may have.

I find that Magnolia is much the same as it was the last time we visited six years ago. The buildings still look similar, and in fact, we have the same hotel room as last time. It's familiar, which can be frightening, is also a little welcoming. I wouldn't expect Magnolia to be very different from the town we saw six years ago.

One thing that has definitely changed is the Fairy Tail building. It's so much larger now! Not only that, but it's more fancy, and hopefully resistant to explosions. (Although, I don't know that one for sure.) Either way, it's a sight to behold, and I can't believe that it's a guild hall. It looks like a giant fort or governmental center. I'm sure it's designed well too, with all of the fights and stuff.

We meet up with the Fairy Tail guild on the Saturday before the ball. Lucy is anxious to see her friends again. Even if I won't admit it, Gray and Gajeel are some pretty cool people. The girls are nice, but they can be a little frightening. Lucy seems to really enjoy spending time with them.

They already know about "us", since some of them would visit the palace when on missions to Crocus. It's a nice a gesture in my opinion. Erza came over once, eating a huge cake given to us by the Straight family as an apology.

Levy visited with Gajeel shortly thereafter, marveling at the size of the castle's library. Gajeel and I play some really awesome hide-and-kick-the-shit-out-of-each-other, which is a simple game, where basically you run in a given direction for thirty seconds before trying to find the other person (without using dragon senses) and beat the shit out of them. Let's just say, the girls were less than happy when we ruined their "precious silence" while fighting.

Juvia Lockser visited with Gray once, who I still to this day believe has a thing for her. Juvia came up with the idea of a double date, so the four of us went out for some double-date. Gray objected of course, since he "didn't believe" them to be dating, but still went along with it. They're definitely dating.

Lucy and I are greeted by a large number of Fairy Tail members when we walk in the guild. Jude came earlier, saying something about plans for the ball, letting us sleep in longer. So when we arrived, it was just the three of us.

Three isn't exactly accurate, since the moment Happy saw a female cat, he bolted. Maybe he has found a new love interest that Lucy can tease him about, since Happy always teases us.

Of course, the guys don't want to act soft, so they don't walk up to me or anything. The girls, however, run as fast as they can towards Lucy. They are most definitely excited to see Lucy, judging by how incredibly fast they ran.

"Hey Lucy, how have things been?" Levy asks quickly.

"Juvia hopes that Lucy and Natsu are still together." Juvia says.

"Lucy, inform us, please." Erza requests.

"Uhh, sure. Things have been fine. Natsu and I are still going strong. Do you have anything new?" Lucy answers.

"Well, still figuring things out for the dance tomorrow, you know?" Levy says.

"Well that's easy, you'd go with Gajeel right?" Lucy replies.

"Yeah, but the blockhead is too stupid to ask." Levy whispers back.

"Juvia experiences the same problem. Juvia is afraid that Gray doesn't want her to be at the dance with him." Juvia adds in.

"Oh come on, who would he go with besides you?" Lucy asks.

"Juvia doesn't know, but she does not like the possibility of Gray going with someone else." Juvia answers.

"How about you Erza?" Lucy asks.

"She's waiting for Jellal to answer." Levy says.

"That would be about correct. I'm not entirely sure of his whereabouts, but he said that he'd be at this ball. I really hope he isn't letting me down." Erza adds.

"Nonsense, he'll definitely be there. He hasn't broken a promise of yours yet, ever since he escaped the prison." Levy says.

"I figure they don't want a guy hearing this, Lucy, so I'll go talk to the guys right now." I tell Lucy, who nods in approval before I walk off. Ugh, girl talk, never any fun to listen too. At least, if you're a guy. Maybe it's fun if you're a girl.

Yet it sounds like all of these guys are too much of cowards to ask their future girlfriends out to a dance. Don't they see that there are people literally just waiting for them to open their eyes and realize that they're made for each other?

Approaching the guys, I look towards them with a friendly smirk, but not a smile. If they're going to play the cold asshole, I might as well be the cold badass.

"Sup Flamebreath." Gray greets.

"Long time no see, popsicle stick." I reply.

"Does that even make sense?" Gajeel asks.

"It doesn't need to." I reply.

"How have you guys been? My life has been pretty awesome." I gloat.

"Yeah, well not all of us are allowed to sit around all day and get fat." Gray says.

"And that's exactly why I train a whole bunch. I do help the crime fighting force in Crocus, you know." I reply.

"Sure, that's why I've heard of your membership." Gray taunts.

"Well you dumbass, people would be all over them if they found out I helped out. The only reason why I do is because I need some action every now and again. Besides, I don't ever really take jobs for them. Just once every other week or so." I explain.

"Okay, so we know what Salamander has been doing. Care to enlighten us Gray? I've seen you in less fights and more conversations with Juvia. Sounds to me like someone is getting soft." Gajeel jeers.

"Don't turn this on me. Just because I spend time with a friend doesn't mean I'm losing my manliness." Gray replies.

"Yeah, if it was actually a friend, and not your girlfriend." Gajeel taunts.

"Shut up dude! You know she's not." Gray says, enraged.

"Oh that's right, you're too much a coward to confess. My bad." Gajeel says.

"Yeah, well I don't see you doing anything different. You still haven't said anything to Levy, you know that?" Gray replies.

"Yeah, well in your case it's definitely obvious that Juvia likes you. If I were you, I would have already confessed or some shit. I would not be some kind of lovesick coward like you are right now." Gajeel explains.

"I'm not some kind of lovesick coward! I'll prove it to ya!" Gray shouts.

"Alright then, go and confess your undying love to Juvia." Gajeel says simply.

"Sure thing, and if I do, you confess to Levy." Gray replies.

"Sure, knowing your cowardliness, I might have to confess to Levy on my own time. If you lose though, you have to kiss Makarov. No exceptions." Gajeel openly admits.

"Shut the fuck up dude!" Gray says.

"Anyways, I'm waiting. Go get 'em tiger." Gajeel instructs.

"Have you ever heard of reading the moment, dumbass? You can't just go over to four girls, confess in front of them and keep your dignity." Gray explains.

"This isn't about dignity. It's about you finally coming to terms with yourself, you moron." Gajeel replies.

"Yeah, well if I could do both, I would, but I can't. As long as she's mine before the dance, I win, okay?" Gray proposes.

"Nope. You have to have it before tomorrow morning. I need to know when I can ask Levy to the dance and on what terms. I don't want to be halfway through the dance and hear that you asked Juvia to dance." Gajeel explains.

"Fine, by tomorrow morning?" Gray suggests.

"That works." Gajeel replies.

"Hey Natsu!" Lucy shouts, waving to signal my eyes. Hearing her voice, I immediately look over to her, where she's smiling ecstatically with her friends. She walks over to me in a graceful stride. "We're going to go shopping and get dresses for tomorrow."

"Okay, I respond, before whispering, "Make sure you get a sexy red one. You look amazing in everything, but I think you look the best in a nice fiery red."

"T-thanks Natsu." She replies. "I will definitely look for one." I might have made her worry a little much. From what I know, girls sometimes will over think their appearances, and I don't want Lucy to freak out because she can't find "the perfect dress".

Pulling her into a quick hug, I whisper, "Love you Lucy. You're going to be the most beautiful girl there, so don't worry too much about which dress you choose."

I can feel her smile against me for a few seconds before she lets go. "I'll be back in a few hours with a nice red dress. Don't get in too much trouble, okay? Take it easy with the fighting, I don't want any injuries before the dance."

"Yeah I know, I'll keep your word. Don't stay out too late." I tell her.

Lucy nods and walks towards her friends. While others might find it stupid and mushy, simple moments like that can be the sweetest things ever. I always feel really good after being with Lucy. She just is so amazing.

"Oi Natsu, you really are a softy. Does Romeo do everything that Juliet asks?" Gray says in a mocking manner.

"Shut the fuck up. At least I have the guts to confess to the girl I love." I reply, which is followed by a snickering Gajeel and silent Gray. That hit the point home pretty hard.

"Don't worry there Gray, you have several hours to think. The girls all left for a dress. I wouldn't be surprised if Juvia brought back a blue dress." Gajeel says.

"Yeah, well no shit, Sherlock. Of course she would, she's a rain woman. Last time I checked, the rain is blue." Gray replies.

"That's not the point, you shithead! For one, she's probably getting blue because she loves you and your magic – ice – is blue. Secondly, you should get a tuxedo that matches her color." Gajeel explains.

"Hey Natsu?" Gray asks.

"Yeah Gray?" I reply.

"Don't you get cocky because I'm asking for help, but how did you get together with Lucy?" He asks.

"Some rich snob came to visit the castle one day, and I was sick of him being so friendly with Lucy. I confessed to her in her room, and well, we've been together since." I explain.

"All you did was tell her?" He asks.

"Yeah, pretty much." I answer.

"Gihi, he must be really shittin' his pants if he's asking Salamander for help." Gajeel points out.

"I just wanted to know what it's like to confess since I'm about to do it in a few hours." Gray explains.

"Sure, well we all know he scored lucky with Lucy. Salamander is a lost cause without her." Gajeel explains.

"I'm only agreeing with you because I love Lucy, and well, that's pretty much true." I reply.

"Why don't we all have a drink then?" Gajeel suggests. "It'll make it easier to confess, Gray, plus you won't have to think so damn much."

That right there, was definitely a bad idea. Remind me never to take any of Gajeel's advice, ever again. It's always a bad idea...


	27. Chapter 27: Drinking is Fun?

**I'm thinking (a surprise, notable indeed) that this story has three more chapters, give or take. I don't know, it's going to be ending very soon, but not too soon. Don't you worry! (Besides, there's going to be another story almost immediately after it anyways). Yet, there's still more, let's not talk about the end until it shows up.**

**I'd like to remind people that if they have questions, feel free to ask them. I'll reply either by private message (if that's how you send it) or in the next author's note if you leave it as a review. I know I said this a couple chapters back, but I'd just like to remind you that I do indeed take questions (obviously not personal ones, or ones like: What's your next story?).**

**Thanks to Ice and Thunder, Esme Alexis, Disney lovers 101, AudreyKimberly, and orionXD for reviewing.**

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><p>Gajeel just offered Gray and I a drink. I won't lie, I'm a little nervous because I've never had one before, and I don't really know what my limit is. The castle did have fancy wines and some champagne, but never did I drink any of it. I never saw appeal in alcohol, really. It's just not something that I would find fun to do. They say that a shot of vodka is an ounce and a half, right? I'm not entirely sure what to expect, but it can't be too bad right? I just get a really bad hangover in the morning, if I drink too much.<p>

As Gajeel pours the vodka, I notice just how much it looks like water. You can't see or smell any difference in it, so maybe it's not that bad. I drink water all the time, and if this is almost identical to water, it shouldn't be that bad.

Gajeel gives me a smirk, indicating that I better drink it. Grabbing the shot in my right hand, I quickly chug it, expecting it to not be that bad. Just some alcohol, right? People consume it all the time.

Oh how wrong I was. My throat burned immediately, and I began to hack and cough right away. The vodka had already gone down though.

"Salamander, you're new to the drinking world, huh?" Gajeel asks.

"Gajeel you dumbass! You don't start someone with vodka! That's like asking them to chug a beer in one go! Plus this is his first drink dude! What will they say if you kill the king-to-be?" Gray scolds.

"Jeez, calm down mom. I was just trying to have a little fun. Eh, Salamander, you feeling okay?" Gajeel asks.

In truth, not really. I feel a huge burn in my throat, and I've started to develop a slight headache. Nobody ever warned me that my first drink was going to be that bad, so why was it? Maybe it's because vodka is 40% alcohol? But still, I don't think that one measly shot should be bad enough to screw me up like that. There's no way I'm going to lose to a single shot!

"Yeah, I'm all good." I reply.

"You want something lighter, like perhaps, a beer or something?" Gajeel offers.

"Fuck no! I'm good with this." I answer. I'm staying to the vodka. If Gajeel doesn't think I can handle it, I definitely can.

"Gajeel you bastard... using reverse psychology on the poor kid. Just don't give him too much. Like I said, king-to-be." Gray responds.

"Ah, who gives a flying fuck? This guy has the heart and liver of a dragon! He should be fine!" Gajeel proclaims.

"You're god damn right, Gajeel." I say.

"How 'bout another round?" Gajeel asks.

"Yeah, definitely." I answer.

"Don't leave me out." Gray says.

"So, what do you have in mind, Gray?" Gajeel asks, while pouring the drinks.

"Nothing yet, still trying to understand the bet here." Gray responds, taking his shot from Gajeel.

"Yeah, well you don't have much longer. They're going to come back in a few hours, and you know Lyon. He'll be here tomorrow, if not sooner." Gajeel notes.

"Like Juvia would accept that bastard!" Gray says, after downing his second shot.

"Eh, I don't know. If you leave her sad enough, she might go with anyone." Gajeel says, downing his shot as well.

"Well, Gajeel, don't you have competition as well?" I ask.

"Who would that be?" He asks, confusedly.

"Jet and Droy." I answer.

"Like they would be an issue. I know for a fact that Levy isn't going for either of them." Gajeel admits.

"Didn't you just say that you weren't certain, and that's why you weren't confessing?" I ask, before downing my shot.

The second one goes down a lot smoother, but still causes a minor headache and some throat pain. It's definitely a lot better than the first though. I don't know, maybe drinking is something that you get used to overtime.

"Who the fuck knows man? Either way, that girl is mine. Anyone tries shit, they're going through me. And I'll fuck 'em up real good." Gajeel explains.

"Even if it would make her sad?" Gray argues.

"What do you mean by that?" Gajeel asks, a little annoyed.

"Well... What if she _didn't _want you to interfere?" Gray asks. "I mean, you said it yourself. You're not 100% confident she likes you."

Gajeel replies, "Oh come on, who else could she possibly like? There ain't no one in this guild–

"Doesn't have to be in the guild. It could be out of the guild, you don't know." Gray answers. "Could be some sexy librarian or some shit."

"The fuck you mean by that? You don't think I can claim her as my own?" Gajeel asks, offended by Gray.

"Not saying that at all, dude. Just saying that you might want to act soon, you know, before things go the wrong way. Possibilities do indeed exist." Gray explains.

"Ah, well can't the same be applied to you, Gray?" I ask. "Juvia is madly in love with you, but if you don't act sooner or later..."

"Yeah, I know. And tonight's going to be the first step in that. The bet is my personal deadline for confession. Honestly, you're doin' me a favor." Gray replies.

"Natsu, you're just lucky as hell that you already had this shit figured out." Gajeel says. "I still don't get how you did it."

"It was really easy. I mean we spent five years in a row, seeing barely anyone besides the two of us. Lived in a castle, traveled on the road. I mean there's Happy, but he's not really a love-rival, if you know what I mean. Cats don't make good mates to people. I got jealous one day, instinctively kissed Lucy, and bam! We're together. Not all get-togethers are the most romantic of events." I explain.

"That's what I'm saying!" Gajeel says. "'Course Levy thinks otherwise. She believes in fairy tale princes. I ain't about to learn stupid chivalry and horse riding just to ask her out."

"Maybe she just wants a gentleman, not a savage? You don't have be a literal prince, just a figurative one." Gray explains. "Be nice and shit. Calling her 'shorty' doesn't help much either." Gray replies.

"Yeah, but it's fun to tease her. Not like she actually hates me though. She goes on missions with me all the time. Another shot, guys?" Gajeel asks.

We both reply with a yes.

"So, they're dress shopping, huh?" Gray asks, stating the obvious.

"Yeah, dipshit. Didn't you hear it when Salamander was getting all close to his mate? What time do the stores close?" Gajeel asks.

"Why does that matter?" I respond.

"Those girls will be in the stores until they close." Gajeel says, drinking his shot. "All the way through. They shop either till they drop or the stores close."

"Eleven thirty." Gray responds, drinking his shot. "They left a good two hours ago, though. It's ten thirty now."

"Ah, two hours until Gray makes a fool of himself in front of everyone. Can't wait." Gajeel taunts.

"Hey, at least he'll have his girl at the end of the night." I say, downing my shot.

"So anything else new, love life aside?" Gajeel asks.

"Not really. Jobs have been good, money isn't tight anymore." Gray answers.

"Castle is the same-old, same-old. Nothing happens there." I explain.

"So we're just three guys drinking, talking about future wives, huh? Jeez, this is sad for everyone but Salamander." Gajeel says. "Especially since he's the dumb one, and he has his wife already."

"What's that supposed to mean?" I ask, angered by his statement. For some reason, I felt more angry than I normally would. Is this the side affects of drinking?

"Aw calm down, my Lord. He's just a little upset he can't get himself a girl, that's all." Gray answers.

"Neither have you, you shit." Gajeel replies.

"Well, I will by the end of the night. Then you'll be the only one here without a girl." Gray says.

"Not if I get one first." Gajeel contradicts.

"Fine, do it. I bet you can't. You're too much of a _coward_." Gray taunts.

"What did you just call me?" Gajeel asks.

"You heard me. A coward. Fuckin' coward." Gray mumbles.

Gajeel throws a punch towards Gray, which I intercept by grabbing Gajeel's arm.

"Lucy said no fighting, no fighting." I reply.

"Someone is a loyal servant to their master." Gajeel says. "She got you whipped pretty good."

"At least I have a girlfriend, Gray has a point." I reply.

"You'd turn into that too, if you got yourself a girlfriend, Gajeel." Gray says.

"No I wouldn't. Even if I did, why wouldn't you?" Gajeel asks.

"Well, for one, Juvia doesn't ever ask anything of me. Also, she's madly in love with my current self, and even sometimes eggs on the fighting, as long as I win." Gray explains.

"Which never happens, but still, what makes you think Levy won't be like that?" Gajeel asks.

"It's pretty damn obvious dude. She's a bookworm, you think she likes fighting? She's gonna say the same thing Lucy did to Natsu." Gray says.

"Compromises, you dumbass. I'll just compromise. She gets reading, I fight." Gajeel replies.

"If only it were that easy." Gray responds.

"You know, you're fuckin' lucky Salamander's girlfriend told him not to fight, because this fight would end awfully quick if it were just between me and you." Gajeel taunts.

"You want to find out?" Gray asks.

"How about no?" I ask. "Just for you know, Juvia's sake? And Levy's? You don't really want them to see this when they return do ya?"

"Your girlfriend can't get mad at us. We'll leave you outta it, but just don't come near us." Gajeel instructs.

Oh well, looks like I can't do anything there. It's their own damn fault. If they want to be dumbasses, so be it. I can't control their stupidity. I'm listening to Lucy, but if they don't want to, they don't have to. Levy will definitely be mad at Gajeel. As for Juvia, I think Gray will be fine. Gray certainly is luckier than Gajeel.

For the next thirty minutes, I watch Gajeel and Gray duke it out in a fight. While neither seems to take the advantage, good hits have been thrown, and both are definitely bruised. I don't really understand why they're doing this. Hopefully they stop before the girls get back. I don't think they'd want to see that.

Luckily, they do, and when they return, the two sit down like nothing ever happened. They still are drunk though.

"Good job, you dumbasses successfully accomplished nothing." I say.

"Oi, fuck you. I didn't see you fighting or anything." Gray replies.

"And you know exactly why, you piece of shit." I respond.

"Salamander has a legitimate excuse. Another round, shall we? It's been a while." Gajeel asks.

"Sure, one more wouldn't hurt." I reply. Taking the glass from Gajeel after he pours it, I immediately drink it down.

"How's it feel, Salamander? Finally developing some resistance?" Gajeel asks.

"A bit, you could say that. Still don't know why you like vodka so damn much." I answer.

"That, my friend, is a question you'll never know the answer to." Gray comments. "The guy has no reason behind it at all. He just randomly decided it one day."

Shortly thereafter, the two down their shots.

"Man, this shit is getting hard to do. Love is as complicated as fuck. Why can't I just tell them I love 'em and they just take me?" Gajeel asks.

"It's too complicated and shit. Love is weird, love is torturous." I answer.

"Says the guy marrying the princess. You have no room, ya piece of shit." Gray replies.

"Oi, it ain't always easy. Love is a difficult thing to fathom, regardless of where you stand." I answer.

"Holy shit, this guy gets smarter when he's drunk." Gajeel notes.

"Hey man, fuck you." I reply. "I can be as smart as I want, you wouldn't know anything better about it."

"Does that fucking make sense in your mind?" Gray asks Gajeel.

"I don't know, but it sounds genius." Gajeel replies. "Salamander might have a brain after all."

"I heard that you know. You shits forgot about my dragon hearing, it works 'round the clock, you know." I say.

"Maybe I wanted you hear it." Gajeel replies.

"Well, then you shoulda been louder. I'd think you were scared or something." I respond.

"I ain't scared of ya. Not today, not ever." Gajeel says.

Suddenly, the door opens, and Lucy along with the rest of the girls show up, or at least I think. I don't remember seeing anyone besides, Lucy, because when I saw her, I literally just ran towards her, out of my chair, leaving the guys behind. I just needed her at that moment.

"Hiiii Lucy." I say, hugging Lucy, words slurred.

"Hey Natsu." She responds.

"Hey Lucy?" I ask.

"Yeah, what is it Natsu?" She replies.

"I love you." I answer.

"Yeah, and I love you too." She responds.

"Always and forever Lucy, you and me. I love you, so so much." I whisper.

"That's sweet, Natsu. I love you too. I got a nice sexy red dress too." She whispers in response.

"What's it look like?" I ask.

"You'll have to wait and see. It's a surprise." She says.

"Well, I'm sure whatever it is, it'll look beautiful on you. You look good in anything, Lucy." I comment.

"Thanks Natsu. It really means a lot to me that you think that way." She replies.

"Wow, never thought the alcohol would make the guy so clingy." Gajeel says.

"Alcohol?" Lucy asks, shocked.

"Yeah, he had four shots of vodka. The poor guy is well beyond drunk now." Gray replies. "Hey, but so are we."

"Oh Natsu, you stupid, stupid idiot. Don't get drunk at only 16! You're so young, there's no need to drink yet." Lucy scolds.

"Huh? I'm sorry Lucy." I apologize, not really aware of what I did. "They said it was fun, and it was."

"Drinking is fun? Natsu please tell me you're not going to become a drunk." Lucy asks concernedly.

"Of course not! The drinking sucked. Gajeel has a horrible taste for alcohol. The discussion was something else though." I answer.

"Hey, shut it, Salamander. You better not say a thing. Nothing at all." Gajeel threatens.

"What did they say?" Lucy asks.

"Oh, Gajeel was getting so nervous about Levy and Gray was gonna ask Juvia to the dance. It was all gonna be so perfect. We were just waiting for you guys to get back!" I whisper into Lucy's ear.

"Oh really?" She replies. "That will be fun. But we should get you home, tomorrow is going to be a rough morning."

"Sure thing Lucy. I'll let those two cowards figure out their love lives on their own. They need all the help they can get." I say.

"Jeez, I still find it hard to believe you got drunk at such a young age." Lucy comments.

"Sorry, Lucy. It won't happen again. You know I love you right?" I ask.

"Of course I do. I know that you know that I love you as well." She replies. "Just please be careful, drinking screws things up."

"I will, for you Lucy, 'cuz I love you." I say.

"Thanks Natsu. Now, how about we get home and snuggle up in the bed together?" She whispers.

"That sounds like a great idea, Lucy." I reply.

I don't really remember much else about being drunk that night. All I know was that it wasn't a terrible first experience. Though it was my last for a while. I didn't want to get too into drinking, so I never really went back on that path. Plus the hangover in the morning killed any of the fun that I might have had. In short, drinking was fun, but it had some serious consequences. At least Lucy put up with me through them.

I seriously don't know what I'd do without her in my life.


	28. Chapter 28: Ring Gathering

**Happy Thanksgiving!**

**Sorry, sorry... The chapter got deleted when I closed it. My computer crashed and when I restarted, my changes were left unsaved. It was pretty late at night (like usual) so I decided against re-writing. (Of course, my only writing motivation comes at nighttime, so that's not fun).  
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**Thanks for the awesome feedback. It wasn't too bad writing that chapter. I simply just turned off the filter in my mind and let anything come out. That's kind of what being drunk is, right? You know what they say, drunk words are sober thoughts! So don't think that person confessing to you is out of their mind when they say they love you. Of course, ask them when they're sober just to be sure, Aye Sir!  
><strong>

**I did actually look up how the drinks would calculate into their blood alcohol percentages. I didn't want to base it on nothing (since I've never actually drank before, still underage).**

**Thanks to AudreyKimberly, Ice and Thunder, BeastlyTick59, launi9, Searching for my Rushmore, Esme Alexis, Schreeching Harmony, Disney lovers 101, CupcakeGirl633, locoanime, and the guest for reviewing!**

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><p>Remember when I said that drinking isn't so bad, except the hangover? Well, I definitely need to change that, because the hangover feels like absolute shit. The first thing I do when I wake up is run to the bathroom and puke. Unfortunately, I wasn't careful enough, and that woke Lucy up as well.<p>

I feel bad because she's helping me right now, even though she didn't drink anything. I woke her up early in the morning because of my sickness, but instead of getting mad, she helps me. She's really an incredible person.

"Jeez Natsu, didn't you know what you were getting yourself into?" Lucy asks.

"Well, yeah, but I wasn't planning that far ahead. I was just enjoying the drinks." I answer.

"That's what they always say." Lucy replies.

"I know, I know. Thanks though, Lucy." I say.

"For what?" She asks.

"Well, helping out with my hangover. I'm sure that you'd rather be sleeping right now." I say.

"Yeah, well I know that you'd do the same if I was hungover. I don't deserve any thanks." She replies.

"Of course you do. Besides, I know that you'd thank me, so I should thank you." I say.

"Well since I would, I'll allow it." Lucy replies.

"I'm glad I have you." I state.

"So am I, Natsu." Lucy adds.

For the next hour and a half, with the help of Lucy, I'm able to get over my killer headache and puking spree. I hate hangovers, so much. Even though the drinking was fun last night, I am not sure if it was worth the hangover. After all, I don't remember all of it.

Lucy decides to go back to bed. I don't blame her, I woke her up pretty early, and we have the ball tonight, so she obviously doesn't want to be tired for that. I don't really get tired, nor am I tired right now. I'm definitely not in the mood to sleep, that's for sure.

So instead, I decide to head over to the Fairy Tail guild and see how those guys are doing. I never really found out if Gray actually went through with asking Juvia out or not. I know Gajeel is waiting for Levy, but he might have acted by now, depending on what happened with Gray.

When I do actually arrive, those two are there, sitting at the same table as last night.

"Over the hangover yet, Salamander?" Gajeel asks with a smirk.

"Yeah, I think so." I reply.

"Well, Gray decided to be a coward and didn't ask Juvia out. I had to go and ask out Levy because I knew that he wasn't going to do it anytime soon." Gajeel says.

"Bullshit! You didn't ask out Levy, she asked you out!" Gray challenged.

"Yeah, but I still got the girl, so who gives a fuck? That's more than you can say about Juvia!" Gajeel replies.

"Yo, yo guys, calm down. I need to ask you a favor, so please stop arguing for just a second." I interrupt. Seriously though, if I didn't, they'd be at it all day and through the night about who is more of a chicken than the other.

"What is it Flamehead?" Gray asks.

"I want to propose to Lucy." I whisper. "And I need your guys' help to find a ring."

Yes, I've actually come to the decision. Now is probably the best time I'll get for a long time to propose to her. Of course, we can't marry for a while, but still, getting engaged now is good enough for me. As long as she's promised to be mine forever, I'll be the happiest person alive. I just have to pull through on this one night, and I'll have her by my side for the rest of my life.

"Holy Shit, you gotta always be a step ahead of us or something? We get our girls last night and you're asking yours to marry you?" Gajeel asks, surprised.

"I've been with her for a year now, you dipshit. She's basically the only person I spend time with, so I know everything about her. There's no doubt in my mind that I want to marry her. Besides, it's been a year. I would understand your concern if it was a hasty decision, like three months, but one "official" year and five more years is not hasty in the slightest. Even if we get engaged, we still won't marry until at least 18." I explain.

"Okay, now that you've proved your point, why do you want us?" Gray asks.

"Easy. You guys will be the saner version of me. If I over-complicate something, you'll point it out." I answer.

"If you really think that we're up to the job, then fine. We might wanna get Jellal here though." Gray says.

"Sure, his help could be of use. As long as he's not a crazy psycho." I reply. I don't really know Jellal personally, but if he's friends with Fairy Tail, he's probably pretty crazy. If he's not, I'll be mind-blown.

"Hey Jellal!" Gray shouts, receiving a glare from Erza.

"Don't you know it's not safe to shout his name?" Erza asks angrily.

"S-sorry! Just, please, we need him for something really important." Gray apologizes.

"How important is it?" Erza pushes.

"On a scale from 1/10, 11." Gray replies.

"For whom?" Erza asks.

"Natsu." Gray answers.

"You could have just said that from the start. You wasted my time! I thought you wanted him to join your morning drinking routine." Erza comments.

"We don't drink in the morning!" Gray defends.

"Hey guys, I heard my name being called?" Jellal asks.

"Yeah, well my friend Natsu needs your help with something really, REALLY important." Gray informs.

"What's that?" He asks.

"Come with us, he'll tell you." Gray instructs.

"Okay." Jellal responds.

As he walks towards us, the first impression that I get of him is that he's probably normal. I hate to think Fairy Tail has connections with _normal_ people, but certainly he is nothing out of the ordinary. He looks well-kept, he talks pretty calmly, and doesn't try to start a fight every other second.

"Hello, you're Natsu, right? My name is Jellal, I was at your return party a few years ago." Jellal says. Wait, he was at that party. He has that blue hair and the tattoo? He has to be _him_...

"Yes, I'm Natsu. Nice to meet you. You're the person that Erza was staring at all night at that party. I was wondering who you were." I reply.

"She was? Wow, I'll have to say something to her about that later." Jellal says.

"Haha, approach with caution." I add.

"Yeah, that's a good suggestion." Jellal replies.

"Okay, well, I need your help on something. I assume that since Lucy's father invited you to the party, you're probably on the wealthier spectrum." I say.

"Well, not everyone that Jude invites is fancy. You know one time a bunch of his subordinates got mad because he had a whole bunch of Layla's childhood friends, who were all commoners, over without inviting the subordinates. Jude didn't even acknowledge their complaints." Jellal explains.

"So you're not? I really need someone who knows about gold and gemstones." I ask.

"No, I am. I was taught a decent amount in the knowledge of precious material, from clothing to stones. I should know some stuff." Jellal says.

"Okay, well then do you know any local stores where I can buy an engagement ring?" I ask.

"Oh, wow, that's what you want? Yeah, sure I can take you to one." Jellal offers.

Following his lead, Gray, Gajeel, and I head towards the jewelry store. I'm not really sure what it's going to cost, but I don't really think that it matters. Even if money was tight, I'd always get the best for Lucy.

When we arrive, Jellal navigates the store to find exactly where the engagement rings are. When he finds the section, he stops and says, "So, are you looking for a gold band or silver?"

Well, shit. I don't know? What would Lucy want? Silver doesn't seem to show any importance to me, but the gold is closer to her hair color. Maybe that's a good reason to choose gold.

"Gold bands." I reply.

"Okay, well here are a whole bunch. I'll let you look through them. Try to get her something pretty, but make sure she thinks it's pretty too. Don't judge on your own standards." Jellal explains.

"I know, I wouldn't spend money on a ring like this for myself." I reply.

"I certainly hope not." Jellal responds.

Looking through the gold-banded rings, I don't really notice anything that sticks out to me. Most of them are the generic diamond-on-gold ring. I don't want to get her something too big that it looks out of place or too small that you can't even see it. I really think that she deserves something special. She's the star of my life, so I want her to have something that shines and stands out from the rest. It has to be something spectacular.

"Jeez dude, calm down, you'll know what it'll be when you see it." Gray assures me.

You know that saying that when you know something is meant to be, it just shows up out of nowhere? Well that's exactly what happened here. I found myself looking at the rings, rather uninterested, but then I came across this one ring that blew me away. Exactly what Gray said. I would listen to him, but that's the first time in so many times he's been right.

A nice, shiny, high-quality diamond is on the top of a band made of pure gold, with small pink gemstones encrusted around the band on the outside. It was absolutely perfect! I can't think of anything better to get her! I'm sure she'll love this ring in particular. It's better than the rest, as far as looks go, in my opinion.

"Wow, you really scored with that one. I'm sure she'll love it." Jellal says.

"Yeah, this is definitely the one." I reply.

We take the ring over to the counter. I feel a little bad, because I asked Gray and Gajeel to come help me pick out a ring, when all I really needed was for Jellal to instruct me so I wasn't totally lost.

"Would you like a message written on the inside of this wring, sir?" The jeweler asks.

"Uh, yeah, sure. How long will it take?" I reply.

"About an hour." He answers.

"Sure, so what can I put on the inside?" I ask.

"A message, name, anything really." The man replies.

"How about... Hmm... Oh I've got it! 'To my favorite Princess, I'm your faithful Dragon.'" I suggest.

"Jeez, Salamander you're getting weak with that mushy crap." Gajeel comments.

"Oh come on dude, think for a second." Gray scolds Gajeel. "It's pretty obvious what he's doing. She's going to love it, so if he sounds mushy, to hell with it! It pays off, dude. Seriously."

"You know, Salamander might actually be smart when he's sober. So the country isn't doomed!" Gajeel chants. "The country isn't doomed!"

"Hey Gajeel, shut the fuck up." I say. "I can have you forcibly removed."

"You wouldn't dare. That's the true sign of weakness, making someone else fight your battles." Gajeel retorts.

"You are obviously forgetting the part where I kick your ass. That comes before you get banished." I reply.

"Uh oh, I'm so scared, Salamander is gonna kick my ass!" Gajeel mocks.

"Yeah yeah, keep laughing." I say.

For the next forty-five minutes, we wait as the ring is engraved with the message. I'm really excited to give this ring to her. I know that she'll love it. She just absolutely has to! After the ring is done, I pay for the thing, which by no means was cheap. I spent more on that one ring than that necklace of gems I bought back in Hargeon. She still wears that necklace, something that makes me beyond happy to know.

Our walk back to the guild is pretty silent. Nobody really has anything to say. I'm sure most people are thinking about getting ready for the ball, taking their girl to the ball, and enjoy the night. I know that I'm thinking about that. Except I also have to propose to her too. What do I say?

What do I say? Oh crap! I have to memorize a speech of confession so that she wants to marry me. I can't just pull out the ring and fire the question, I have to slowly ease into the topic by talking about other things first, like how amazing she is.

When we return to the guild, I make sure the ring is entirely hidden within the deepest, most secure pocket in all of my clothing. I'm not losing this ring, no matter what happens. There's just no way something of this value will ever slip through my fingers.

Once I'm alone back at the guild, I sit down at a table. Concentrating isn't too easy when I have the ears of a dragon. I pick up on Jellal and Erza's conversation.

"How'd it go?" Erza asks.

"Good, he's a nice guy." Jellal replies.

"Yeah, well one day he'll be leading the kingdom. I think those two will do well together." Erza comments.

"I think so too. You should have seen the ring that Natsu got Lucy. He picked out the most perfect ring for the two of them. Makes me kind of want to dye our hair to their colors just to buy it." Jellal explains.

"What was it?" Erza asks, intrigued.

"The diamond was of the highest quality, and the gold band was extremely intricate. It has pink gemstones on it, I'm assuming for his hair color, with the gold being her hair. On the inscription is a cute message that goes back to their childhood. A ring like that is just unbeatable." Jellal says.

"Wow, Lucy is really lucky." Erza replies.

"Oh and please do not tell anyone at all about his ring. I wasn't cleared to tell you, but I feel that I should. Just please, please don't tell anyone at all." Jellal pleads.

"As you wish." Erza says. "I will wait until after he proposes."

Erza mentioning the proposal got my mind back on track. Quick, think of something to say! How the heck to I tell Lucy that I love her? How do I tell her that she is my world? This is so complicated and frustrating! Who would have thought that this would be so difficult?

"Oh come on Natsu, think of something to say? How do you tell Lucy that she's your world? Or that you'll love her unconditionally? Really? This is so hard! If only she knew just how much I care about her!" I say, not realizing I was thinking aloud.

"You could have just said that, you big idiot. It's not very hard at all." Lucy replies, scaring the shit out of me. "I'm glad that we feel the same way." She says sweetly, before closing in on a kiss. Hey, if she's volunteering for it in public, I'm not complaining!

I know, I should probably be thinking of something to say to her. After all, I only have a couple hours until the ball begins. But she's just such a good kisser! I can't pass up on the opportunity! I really do have keep a closer eye on my surroundings. She was able to sneak right up on me, and had I said something that revealed my plans to propose, I would have been done for. I really want this surprise to be big for her. After all, it's only going to happen once.

I should be writing the script, but to hell with it! The script can wait a couple more minutes! I'm busy kissing Lucy right now!


End file.
